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tihtary  of ^he  t:heolo0ical  ^eminarjp 

PRINCETON    .   NEW  JERSEY 
PRESENTED  BY 

The  Stuazi:  Fund 

BV  4211  .S56  1879  | 

Simpson,  Matthew,  1811-1884. 
Lectures  on  preaching 


I^ECTURES  ON  f^ REACHING, 


DELIVERED  BEFORE  THE  THEOLOGICAL  DEPARTMENT  OF 
YALE  COLLEGE. 


MATTHEW^SIMPSON,    D.D.,   LL.D., 

A  Bishop  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


NEW  YORK: 
NELSON     &     PHILLIPS. 

CINCINNATI: 
HITCHCOCK     &     ^^^ALDEN. 

1879. 


Copj'right  1879,  by 
NELSON    &    PHILLIPS, 

New  York. 


PREFACE 


''  I  ^HESE  Lectures  have  not  been  prepared  as  a 
treatise  on  homiletics,  or  on  the  pastoral  office. 
The  "  Lyman-Beecher  Lectureship  "  in  Yale  College 
was  founded  to  supplement  the  regular  course  of  in- 
struction in  Theology  with  the  suggestions  of  those 
actively  engaged  in  ministerial  work  ;  and  hence  its 
range  is  limited,  and  the  work  of  the  Lecturer  par- 
takes largely  of  personal  experience  and  observations. 
The  writer  has  been,  during  their  preparation  and 
delivery,  so  constantly  pressed  with  ecclesiastical 
duties,  that  he  has  had  little  time  to  seek  authorities 
or  to  cultivate  elegance  of  style.  He  designed  the 
Lectures  to  be  the  simple  expression  of  his  experi- 
ence and  observations  through  a  somewhat  extended 
ministry,  and  in  their  form  suited  rather  to  the  ear 
than  to  the  library.  As  they  have  been  extensively 
circulated  through  the  religious  press,  from  phono- 
graphic reports,  as  well  as  from  his  manuscript,  he 
has  not  judged  it  proper  to  alter  the  style,  or   to 


4  Preface. 

change  expressions  which  were  intended  for  the 
lecture-room  rather  than  for  the  pubhshed  volume. 

The  Lectures  are  now  submitted  not  only  to  the 
Classes  which  heard  them,  but  to  all  Students  for 
the  Ministry;  and,  also,  to  the  laity  of  the  Churches, 
who  are  the  friends  of  the  Pulpit.  If  they  shall 
prove  in  some  degree  beneficial  to  young  Ministers 
in  stimulating  them  to  a  more  earnest  devotion  to 
their  holy  work,  and  to  the  acquisition  of  greater 
power  and  usefulness,  the  writer  will  feel  that  his 
labor  has  not  been  in  vain. 

Philadelphia,  January  2^,  1879. 


CONTENTS. 


-♦•♦- 


Lecture  ^*°^ 

I.  Thk  Nature  and  Work  of  the  Christian  Ministry.      7 

II.  The  Call  TO  THE  Ministry 38 

III.  The  Preacher  Personally 67 

IV.  Indirect  Prepar.\tion  FOR  THE  Pulpit 97 

V.  The  Prepar.^tion  of  A  Sermon 130 

VI.  The  Delivery  of  a  Sermon 166 

VII.  Ministerial  Power 198 

VIII.  The  Influence  of  the  Pastorate  on  the  Pulpit..  .  236 

IX.  Collateral  and  Miscellaneous  Work 262 

X.  Is  the  Modern  Pulpit  A  Failure? 297 


THSOLOCIC:LL 


,  -  f 


LECTURES  ON  PREACHING. 


LECTURE    I. 

THE  NATURE  AND  WORK  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  MINISTRY. 

HOW  natural  is  it  for  a  speaker  to  wish  to  say 
something  before  he  begins !  Hence,  young 
gentlemen,  I  may  be  indulged  in  a  few  preliminary 
words. 

First  of  all,  I  desire  to  express  my  high  estimate 
of  the  practical  wisdom  and  catholic  spirit  which  in- 
fluenced the  founder  of  this  Chair.  It  is,  so  far  as  I 
know,  the  first  endowment  of  a  lectureship  wholly 
devoted  to  preaching.  Homiletics  and  pastoral  the- 
ology, including  preaching,  have  long  been  embraced 
in  the  curriculum  of  the  theological  seminary ;  but 
this  Chair  singles  out  the  one  department  of  preach- 
ing, and  devotes  special  attention  to  it.  This  is  an 
index  which  shows  the  movement  of  Christian  mind, 
and  which,  also,  points  to  the  future  exaltation  of 
preaching.  Being  the  grand  agency  by  which  God 
has  determined  to  save  them  that  believe,  it  is  the 
most  important  instrumentality  ever  committed  to 
man  ;  and  if  so,  deserves  more  attention  than  would 
belong    to   a   mere   department  of  sacred  rhetoric. 


8  Lectures  on  Preaching, 

I  have  no  doubt  that,  while  it  may  be  imperfectly 
filled — while  some  of  us  may  add  but  little,  if  any 
thing,  to  the  accumulated  stores  of  knowledge,  or  be 
successful  in  presenting  stronger  motives  to  young 
ministers — yet  there  will  be  thoughts  and  sugges- 
tions uttered  from  time  to  time  from  this  Chair,  which 
shall  awaken  increasing  interest  among  candidates 
for  the  ministry,  and  among  Christians  generally. 
Then  the  catholicity  of  spirit  which  made  the  plat- 
form so  broad  that  "  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  any 
evangelical  denomination  "  might  stand  upon  it,  will 
command  the  approbation  of  the  Christian  world. 
The  corporation  of  Yale  College  and  its  theological 
faculty  have  manifested  the  same  enlarged  and  lib- 
eral spirit  in  selecting  ministers  of  various  Churches, 
and  have  drawn  on  the  Old  World  as  well  as  on  the 
New.  The  utterances  which  have  been  already  made 
from  this  desk  by  distinguished  and  talented  speak- 
ers have  not  only  reached  the  hearts  of  those  classes 
which  heard  them,  but  have  gone  forth  through  the 
press,  and  have  influenced  hundreds  of  candidates 
to  higher  aspirations  and  to  more  thorough  conse- 
cration. 

I  desire,  also,  to  acknowledge  specially  the  courtesy 
of  the  corporation  and  theological  faculty  in  extend- 
ing to  me  the  invitation  to  occupy  this  Chair  for  the 
present  term.  Yet  I  do  not  understand  the  compli- 
ment to  be  so  much  personal,  as  an  expression  of 
their  continued  purpose  to  invite  ministers  from  va- 


Introdiictoiy.  9 

rious  denominations,  and  from  different  sections  of 
the  country.  Had  this  invitation  been  one  of  or- 
dinary character,  I  should  have  pron)ptly  declined. 
My  ecclesiastical  duties  are  so  constant  and  so  press- 
ing, as  to  leave  me  but  little  time  for  preparing  lect- 
ures; and  the  demands  for  labor  are  so  numerous  and 
so  varied,  that  my  strength  is  taxed  to  the  utmost. 
I  wished,  however,  to  respond  to  this  manifestation 
of  Christian  courtesy,  and  to  aid  in  showing  to  the 
world  that  Protestant  Christendom  is  essentially  one 
— that  while  we  do  not  wholly  agree,  we  know  at  the 
same  time  how  to  differ  and  yet  how  to  love.  Besides, 
I  found  my  Methodism  somewhat  at  stake.  One  of 
your  professors,  whom  I  profoundly  honor,  suggested 
that,  though  busily  occupied,  I  could  at  least  find  time 
to  "  tell  my  experience."  So  I,  who  am  of  Western 
birth  and  education,  and  a  minister  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  am  here  to  address  you,  who  are 
chiefly  sons  of  New  England,  and  Congregationalists 
m  creed  and  Church  polity.  Verily  the  world  moves ! 
A  hundred  years  ago  this  would  have  been  an  im- 
possibility. 

A  few  years  since  a  distinguished  journalist*  pub- 
lished a  book  entitled,  "  What  I  Know  about  Farm- 
ing." I  am  not  sure  that  his  success  in  that  line 
would  lead  many  to  follow  his  footsteps,  yet  I  have 
thought  that  the  lecturer  in  this  Chair  might  not  in- 
aptly  term   his  utterances,   "  What    I    Know   about 

*  Horace  Greeley. 


10  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

Preaching;"  for  he  is  not  to  lecture  systematically  on 
homiletics,  nor  on  the  pastoral  office — a  work  well 
performed  by  your  regular  professors — but  to  supple- 
ment their  teachings  by  his  own  experience,  and  by 
gleanings  from  the  way-side. 

Thus  I  meet  you  to-day  in  the  hall  of  one  of  the 
oldest  and  noblest  institutions  of  the  land,  and  in  the 
presence  of  men  of  mind  and  of  might.  Yet  let  us 
forget  the  presence  of  these  sages,  and  the  smiles 
of  beauty  around  us,  and  address  ourselves  as  fellow- 
students  to  the  lesson  of  the  hour ;  for  such  we  are. 
We  differ  in  age,  but  are  one  in  aim  and  in  heart.  You 
have  pursued  your  academic  and  collegiate  training, 
and  are  now  interested  in  theological  investigations. 
Your  earnest  thought  is  turned  toward  the  future  ; 
and  the  inquiry  is,  How  can  you  most  successfully 
preach  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?  How 
rapidly  the  years  pass  away!  It  seems  to  me  scarce- 
ly more  than  yesterday  since,  as  a  young  man,  I  was 
asking  myself  the  same  question.  I  remember  how 
the  future  opened  before  me,  and  what  a  responsi- 
bility pressed  upon  my  heart  as  I  thought  of  stand- 
ing in  the  sacred  desk  and  preaching  to  my  fellow- 
men.  Vast  as  the  work  seemed  to  me  then,  it  has 
grown  upon  me  in  magnitude.  Each  succeeding 
year  I  behold  in  clearer  light  the  importance  and  re- 
sponsibility of  the  sacred  office.  I  recognize  to-day 
the  immense  vastness  of  the  work,  and  my  inade- 
quacy to  treat  it  as  its  importance  demands ;  or  even 


Importance  of  Preaching.  1 1 

to  picture  before  you  that  ideal  which  has  for  years 
beckoned  me  forward,  but  which  I  have  never  been 
able  to  attain.  I  am  consoled,  however,  by  the 
thought  that  you  have  other  instructors  at  whose 
feet  you  reverently  sit,  and  who  will  say  to  you  in 
fitting  language  that  which  I  may  leave  unsaid.  If 
I  may  even  chance  to  vary  from  their  teachings,  or, 
Arminian  as  I  am,  to  utter  something  heterodox,  it 
may  but  serve  to  stir  your  thoughts,  and  to  afford 
your  professors  an  excellent  opportunity  to  add  va- 
riety to  their  lectures  by  exposing  my  fallacies,  or  by 
proving  the  unsoundness  of  my  views. 

Preaching  is  the  chief  work,  but  not  the  only 
work,  of  a  Christian  minister.  He  organizes  Churches, 
leads  the  public  devotions  of  the  people,  administers 
the  ordinances,  and  superintends  important  move- 
ments both  within  and  without  his  own  congrega- 
tion. Yet  all  these  works  bear  a  distinct  relation  to 
his  office  as  a  preacher  ;  they  either  issue  from  it,  or 
are  auxiliary  to  it.  St.  Paul  magnified  the  office  of 
the  preacher  above  all  other  departments  of  Church 
work  when  he  said  to  the  Corinthians :  "  Christ  sent 
me  not  to  baptize,  but  to  preach  the  Gospel." 

The  first  great  requisite  to  the  success  of  the 
young  minister  is,  as  I  think,  a  proper  appreciation 
of  the  character  of  the  wonderful  work  upon  which 
be  is  entering,  especially  in  its  nature,  duties,  and 
responsibility.  Only  to  a  few  prominent  points  can 
we  now  refer. 


12  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

First,  ///  its  origin  it  is  ordained  of  God.  Other 
professions  arise  out  of  human  wants,  or  are  essen- 
tial to  human  comforts.  They  vary  according  to  the 
circumstances  or  the  progress  of  humanity.  The 
teacher  is  required  to  educate  childhood  and  youth. 
The  tailor,  the  shoemaker,  and  the  hatter  are  essen- 
tial to  our  convenience  and  health.  The  physician  is 
needed  wherever  sickness  prevails,  the  surgeon  where- 
ever  accidents  occur.  The  profession  of  the  attor- 
ney, unknown  in  savage  lands,  is  demanded  where 
laws  become  complicated,  and  where  interests  be- 
come conflicting.  Christian  preaching  arises,  not  so 
much  from  a  perceived  necessity,  as  from  God's 
special  ordination.  So  true  is  this,  that  where 
preaching  is  unknown  or  neglected,  the  demand  for 
it  is  not  so  strong  as  where  it  is  generally  established 
and  regularly  maintained.  Yet  in  all  ages,  where 
there  has  been  worship  there  has  been  a  ministry. 
The  religious  idea  of  the  race  prompts  to  worship, 
and  in  times  of  emergency  or  in  seasons  of  distress 
to  make  offerings  to  some  superior  power.  These 
offerings  are  made  through  persons  in  some  way 
selected  and  set  apart  for  this  purpose.  Savages 
have  their  incantations,  their  sacrifices,  and  their 
priests.  The  Indians  of  our  Western  wilds  have 
their  medicine-men,  who  not  only  heal  the  body,  but 
profess  to  hold  communion  with  the  Unseen.  The 
Chinese  have  their  Joss-houses  and  their  priests, 
even  though  their  prayers  may  be  written  on  paper 


Pagan  Worship.  1 3 

or  painted  on  wood,  and  whirled  round  by  machinery. 
Ancient  history,  in  its  earliest  outlines,  finds  priests 
among  the  Egyptians,  and  soothsayers  among  the 
Bab}'lonians.  Phoenicia,  Greece,  and  Rome  had  their 
deities,  their  temples,  their  oracles,  and  their  offici- 
ating priests.  They  slew  sacrifices,  inspected  the 
entrails,  and  divined  the  will  of  the  gods.  They 
were  so  closely  connected  with  all  the  movements  of 
the  nation  that  assemblies  were  convened  or  broken 
up,  war  was  begun  or  terminated,  great  enterprises 
set  on  foot  or  abandoned,  as  the  augurs  interpreted 
the  omens  or  signs  which  they  had  seen.  In  all 
these  cases  the  ceremonial  was  almost  every  thing, 
the  instruction  next  to  nothing.  Yet  among  the 
ancients  there  were  mysteries  in  various  systems, 
which  included  both  ceremonies  and  doctrines.  The 
teachings  were  for  the  few  who  wished  to  learn,  and 
hence  received  the  name  of  mystery — which  St.  Paul 
transferred  into  the  Christian  writings — the  word 
not  meaning,  as  I  think,  secrecy,  or  what  is  difficult 
of  understanding,  but  a  system  of  religion,  or  a 
doctrine  in  that  system.  The  priests,  to  a  certain 
extent,  instructed  the  people,  and  were  also  defenders 
of  the  poor  and  oppressed.  The  altar  was  a  place  of 
refuge,  where  the  offender  sought  safety,  and  placed 
himself  under  the  protection  of  the  deity.  Those 
who  ministered  at  temples  or  altars  were  invested,  in 
the  estimation  of  the  people,  with  a  peculiar  sanctity, 
and  were  supposed   to    hold    communion    with  the 


14  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

gods.  Both  in  the  temples  and  at  the  oracles  women 
served  as  well  as  men.  The  vestal  virgins  were 
esteemed  sacred,  and  crimes  on  their  part,  or  offenses 
against  them,  were  most  severely  punished  ;  yet  the 
sanctity  with  which  they  were  regarded  was  something 
wholly  apart  from  a  pure  and  high  morality.  In  India 
the  priestly  caste  is  highly  esteemed  ;  they  are  the 
students,  the  writers,  and  teachers.  How  the  ideas 
of  sacrifices  and  priesthood  arose  we  need  not  now 
inquire.  The  fact  stands  out  that  always  and  every- 
where there  were  officiating  ministers,  and  that  so- 
ciety regarded  them  with  veneration  and  awe. 

From  Scripture  history  we  learn  that  the  offering 
of  sacrifices  was  at  least  as  old  as  the  time  of  Abel, 
his  offering  having  been  in  some  manner  visibly  ac- 
cepted of  God.  Religious  instruction  was  also  given 
by  public  teachers.  We  are  informed  by  St.  Jude 
that  "  Enoch  also,  the  seventh  from  Adam,  prophe- 
sied." This  prophesying  anciently  embraced  not 
only  visions  of  the  future,  but  instruction  in  religious 
duties.  We  are  also  informed  that  Noah  was  a 
preacher  of  righteousness,  and  that,  coming  out  of 
the  ark,  he  offered  sacrifices.  The  various  families 
and  nations  of  the  earth,  descending  from  him,  may 
thus  have  received  both  these  ideas. 

The  direct  and  authoritative  establishment  of  the 
ministry  is  found  in  the  Jewish  system,  A  whole 
tribe  was  set  apart  for  the  performance  of  its  various 
functions  ;  a  specific  family  was  selected  for  its  ho- 


Jewish  Priesthood.  1 5 

lier  duties.  These  priests  read  to  the  people,  in  their 
large  convocations,  from  the  book  of  the  law  ;  but 
the  principal  part  of  their  work  was  a  ceremonial 
connected  with  the  tabernacle  and  the  temple.  The 
Christian  minister  is  not,  however,  a  successor  of  the 
Jewish  priests,  so  far  as  their  offering  of  sacrifices 
is  concerned.  In  that  respect  the  law  was  "  a 
shadow  of  good  things  to  come  ;"  and  Christ  has 
come.  He  "  is  the  end  of  "  that  "  law  for  righteous- 
ness to  every  one  that  believeth."  The  ceremonial  law 
must  needs  have  been  performed  to  make  the  Jew  a 
righteous  man.  Our  Saviour  said  to  John  the  Bap- 
tist :  "  Thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfill  all  righteous- 
ness." That  righteousness  which  came  by  the  cere- 
monial law  is  now  supplanted  by  faith  in  Christ. 
You,  young  gentlemen,  are  not  to  be  priests.  The 
one,  eternal,  all-sufficient  sacrifice  has  been  offered 
by  our  "  great  High-priest  that  has  passed  into  the 
hea\'ens."  Instead  of  priests,  he  has  given  to  his 
Church  "  apostles,  evangelists,  pastors,  and  teachers." 
The  Christian  ministry  of  to-day  more  nearly  resem- 
bles the  prophets,  who  were  selected  by  the  direct 
will  of  God,  without  reference  to  tribe  or  family,  to 
warn,  to  admonish,  and  to  instruct,  as  well  as  to  tell 
what  should  be  in  the  coming  years.  To  these  proph- 
ets Christ  himself  is  likened.  Moses  said  :  "  The 
Lord  thy  God  shall  raise  up  unto  thee  a  prophet  from 
the  midst  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me."  And 
in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  it  is  said  :  "  God,  who 


i6  Lfxtures  on  Preaching. 

at  sundry  times  and  in  divers  manners  spake  in  time 
past  unto  the  fathers  by  the  prophets,  hath  in  these 
last  days  spoken  unto  us  by  his  Son."  In  this  speak- 
ing sense  you  are  to  be  prophets  rather  than  priests. 
The  divine  appointment  of  the  Christian  ministry 
is  specifically  set  forth  in  the  New  Testament.  Christ 
selected  his  twelve  apostles.  He  had  called  them  in- 
dividually to  follow  him  ;  he  had  gathered  them 
around  him  for  instruction  ;  but  their  sending  forth 
was  a  public,  solemn  act.  He  had  retired  into  a 
mountain  ;  all  night  he  had  been  in  prayer  ;  and 
when  it  was  day  he  called  his  disciples  around  him, 
and  out  of  them  he  chose  twelve,  whom  he  sent 
abroad  to  preach  the  Gospel  and  to  heal  all  manner 
of  diseases.  Christ  represents  himself  as  sent  into 
the  world  to  preach.  He  says  :  "  I  must  preach  the 
kingdom  of  God  to  other  cities  also  ;  for  therefore  am 
I  sent."  And  he  quoted  as  applicable  to  himself  the 
well-known  prophecy  of  Isaiah  :  "  The  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor."  In  his  inimitable 
prayer  he  says  of  his  disciples  :  "  As  thou  hast  sent 
me  into  the  world,  even  so  have  I  also  sent  them 
into  the  world."  Among  his  last  words  were  those 
of  the  great  commission  :  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world, 
and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  In  enter- 
ing into  the  ministry,  then,  you  ally  yourselves  with 
God  himself ;  you  take  upon  you  an  office  which  he 
himself  has  specifically  ordained. 


TJie  Preacher,  a  Herald.  17 

Secondly,  T/ie  greatness  of  the  ministerial  office  is 
also  seen  from  the  nature  of  its  work.  This  is-  illus- 
trated by  comparing  it  to  various  earthly  offices  and 
duties.  The  word  '•  preach,"  in  its  primary  significa- 
tion, means  to  proclaim.  Kernx,  a  herald,  was  an 
ofificer  carrying  and  announcing  a  message,  and  was 
usually  sent  by  a  king,  or  by  a  commanding  officer 
in  the  army.  His  message  was  short,  and  was  given 
without  explanations  or  reasons.  So  John  the  Bap- 
tist simply  proclaimed  :  "Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdoni 
of  heaven  is  at  hand  !  "  In  the  same  way  Christ  en- 
tered on  his  own  ministry  ;  and  when  the  disciples 
were  first  sent  forth,  the  simple  message  he  gave 
them  was,  "  Repent,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at 
hand."  The  man  was  a  herald  or  preacher,  no 
matter  what  the  character  of  the  tidings  which  he 
bore.  Jonah  was  sent  to  the  Ninevites,  and  his  brief 
message  was  :  "  Yet  forty  days,  and  Nineveh  shall  be 
overthrown."  So,  also,  Nehemiah  was  accused  of 
appointing  preachers  to  proclaim  himself  king. 

As  the  Gospel  was  unfolded,  this  idea  of  a  herald 
was  enlarged  by  making  it  the  bearer  of  good  tidings  ; 
and,  instead  of  heralding,  we  have  evangelizing.  In- 
stead of  Christ  saying  as  he  did  to  his  disciples  at 
first,  "  Go  heralding,"  we  have  in  the  great  commis- 
sion, "  Go  discipling."  You  are  sent  forth  not  only 
to  cry — not  only  to  cry,  "  All  flesh  is  grass  ;"  but  to 
erj  also,  "  The  word  of  the  Lord  endureth  forever." 
Your  office  is  not  to  speak  of  yourselves,  not  to  speak 


1 8  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

words  which  the  wisest  men  have  uttered,  but  to 
speak  the  message  which  God  has  given.  This  mes- 
sage of  glad  tidings  he  has  put  in  writing.  It  has 
been  printed.  We  have  it  in  our  hands.  It  is  made 
"  plain  upon  tables,  that  he  may  run  that  readeth  it." 

The  office  of  an  embassador  is  one  of  the  highest 
that  can  be  filled  by  a  citizen.  He  bears  a  message 
from  his  Government — a  message  to  which  he  may 
not  add,  and  from  which  he  must  not  subtract.  His 
words  are  the  words  of  the  nation  ;  his  person  is  se- 
cured by  the  power  of  the  nation  ;  he  represents  in 
person  the  honor  and  dignity  of  the  nation.  The 
grander  and  stronger  the  Government,  the  greater  is 
the  embassador.  What,  then,  must  be  an  embassa- 
dor for  Christ  .-*  If  you  enter  on  this  office,  you  are 
embassadors  sent  by  Christ  to  represent  him,  and  to 
utter  his  words  to  all  the  people.  He  is  pledged  to 
care  for  you,  and  to  protect  you  ;  and  you  are  not  to 
think  of  yourselves  as  your  own,  but  as  belonging  to 
Christ.  You  are  to  take  his  words  and  utter  them 
in  the  ears  of  the  people,  whether  they  will  hear,  or 
whether  they  will  forbear. 

The  preacher  is  represented  as  a  watchman.  "  I 
have  set  watchmen  upon  thy  walls,  O  Jerusalem  ! " 
The  Lord  said  to  Ezekiel :  "  Son  of  man,  I  have  made 
thee  a  watchman  unto  the  house  of  Israel :  therefore 
hear  the  word  at  my  mouth,  and  give  them  warning 
from  me."  The  watchman  guards  the  city  ;  the  lives 
of  the  people  are  in  his  hands  ;  his  post  is  one  of  in- 


The  P readier,  a  Watchman.  19 

finite  moment.  Your  office  is  to  watch  against  ene- 
mies, against  clangers.  It  requires  a  firm  purpose,  a 
sleepless  eye.  Often  on  the  ocean  I  have  gone  to 
the  prow  of  the  vessel  and  looked  out  into  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night.  I  ever  found  a  watchman  there — 
not  one  moment  from  his  post — his  eye  gazing  far 
over  the  sea,  where  he  might  discern  at  the  greatest 
distance,  and  at  the  earliest  moment,  any  cause  of 
possible  danger.  The  lives  of  the  crew  and  passen- 
gers were  in  his  hands.  The  mist  might  come  down 
heavily,  the  wind  might  blow  furiously,  the  storm 
rage  incessantly,  but  still  on  and  ever  the  watchman 
looks  out  in  the  one  direction.  The  whales  may 
spout  in  multitudes  around  the  vessel,  or  the  whole 
sea  behind  may  be  in  a  phosphorescent  glow,  but  he 
heeds  them  not.  His  one  great  duty  is  to  look 
ahead.  So  you  are  watchmen  ;  you  are  on  the  ship  ; 
the  vessel  may  be  running  toward  shore  ;  there  may 
be  breakers  ahead,  and  you  are  to  sound  the  alarm  ! 
False  teachers  may  be  around  you  ;  the  literature  of 
the  day  may  be  corrupting  ;  you  may  find  infidel  ideas 
spread  among  your  people  ;  the  youth  may  be  in  dan- 
ger of  being  ensnared  and  led  astray.  You  are  God's 
commissioned  watchmen,  to  guard  them  from  danger. 
This  very  naturally  leads  us  to  think  of  the  minis- 
try as  a  work.  It  is  so  in  all  its  forms,  from  begin- 
ning to  end,  from  youth  to  age.  "  If  a  man  desire  the 
office  of  a  bishop,  he  desireth  a  good  work."  Jesus 
said  to  his  disciples  :  "  Work  while  it  is  called  to- 


20  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

clay."  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  "  separated  for  the 
work  "  whereunto  they  were  called.  We  are  "  work- 
ers together  with  God."  This  work  is  compared 
sometimes  to  a  vineyard,  in  which  the  minister  is  to 
bear  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day.  St.  Paul  speaks 
of  him  as  a  "husbandman  that  laboreth,"  and  he 
directed  Timothy  to  be  "  a  workman."  He  also 
said :  "  Let  the  elders  that  rule  well  be  counted 
worthy  of  double  honor,  especially  they  who  labor  in 
word  and  doctrine."  And  again  :  "  The  laborer  is 
worthy  of  his  reward."  Christ  says  :  "  Pray  ye,  there- 
fore, the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  he  would  send 
forth  laborers  into  his  harvest."  No  labor  is  heavier 
than  that  of  the  harvest  field,  especially  as  performed 
in  ancient  times.  Some  of  us  who  are  older  remem- 
ber well  the  severity  of  the  labor,  when  we  bent  all 
day  over  the  leaning  grain  in  the  rays  of  the  hot  sun. 
Tfie  field  was  large,  the  grain  was  caught  handful  by 
handful  while  the  sickle  reaped,  and  night  came  only 
to  give  a  short  rest  to  gather  strength  for  the  next 
day.  Such  is  your  work.  "Say  not  ye,  There  are 
yet  four  months,  and  then  cometh  harvest."  The 
field  is  already  white.  That  field  is  the  world  :  you 
are  the  reapers  ;  the  grain  is  ripe  and  ready  to  perish. 
"  He  that  reapeth  receiveth  wages."  Some  of  the 
grain  is  falling,  and  the  plaintive  voice  is  on  the 
breeze,  "  The  harvest  is  past,  the  summer  is  ended, 
and  I  am  not  saved."  If  you  have  ever  looked  at 
the  ministry  as  a  life  of  ease,   either  abandon   the 


The  Minister,  a  Sei'vant.  21 

thought,  or  at  once  abandon  the  ministry.  It  is  a 
busy  hive,  with  no  room  for  drones.  There  is  work 
in  the  pulpit,  and  work  out  of  the  pulpit ;  work  in 
the  study,  and  work  out  of  the  study  ;  work  pub- 
licly and  work  privately.  Paul  worked,  preaching 
and  warning  the  people  from  house  to  house,  by 
night  and  by  day.  Of  the  disciples  it  is  said  :  "  Daily, 
in  the  temple  and  in  every  house,  they  ceased  not  to 
teach  and  preach  Jesus."  St.  Augustine  says  : 
"  Nothing  in  this  life  is  more  difficult,  laborious,  and 
dangerous  than  the  life  of  a  presbyter."  Luther 
says  :  "  The  labors  of  a  minister  exhaust  the  very 
marrow  from  the  bones,  and  hasten  forward  old  age 
and  death."  Of  the  man  who  hid  his  talent  it  is 
said:  "Thou  wicked  and  slothful  servant."  Sloth- 
fulness  is  represented  as  the  height  of  wickedness. 
Men  may  afford  to  take  their  ease  in  other  callings  ; 
they  may  rest  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  or  take  shelter 
from  the  storm,  but  the  minister  must  not,  dare  not, 
rest.  Nor  will  there  ever  be  invented  moral  mow- 
ing-machines to  take  the  place  of  the  old-fashioned 
sickles  of  the  pulpit. 

The  minister  not  only  labors,  but  he  serves.  The 
word  viijiistcr  signifies  a  servant.  It  once  had  not 
the  honor  and  dignity  which  to- day  is  attached  to  it. 
St.  Paul  repeatedly  calls  himself  "a  serv-ant  of  Jesus 
Christ,"  or,  as  you  well  know,  young  gentlemen,  a 
slave.  When  he  alluded  to  his  preaching  he  said  : 
"  We   preach   not  ourselves,   but    Christ   Jesus    the 


22  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

Lord  ;  and  ourselves  your  servants  for  C  hrist's  sake." 
Christ  set  us  an  example  by  girding  himself  and 
washing  his  disciples'  feet.  He  arrayed  himself  in 
the  garb  of  a  servant.  "  He  riseth  from  supper,  and 
laid  aside  his  garments  ;  and  took  a  towel,  and  girded 
himself  After  that  he  poureth  water  into  a  basin, 
and  began  to  wash  the  disciples'  feet,  and  to  wipe 
them  with  the  towel  wherewith  he  was  girded."  It 
is  added  :  "  So  after  he  had  washed  their  feet,  and 
had  taken  his  garments,  and  was  set  down  again,  he 
said  unto  them,  Know  ye  what  I  have  done  to  you  ? 
Ye  call  me  Master  and  Lord  :  and  ye  say  well  ;  for 
so  I  am.  If  I  then,  your  Lord  and  Master,  have 
washed  your  feet  ;  ye  also  ought  to  wash  one  an- 
other's feet.  For  I  have  given  you  an  example,  that 
ye  should  do  as  I  have  done  to  you.  Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you.  The  servant  is  not  greater  than  his 
Lord  ;  neither  is  he  that  is  sent  greater  than  he  that 
sent  him.  If  ye  know  these  things,  happy  are  ye  if 
ye  do  them."  We  cannot  mistake  such  a  lesson  as 
this.  Our  work  is  a  service  ;  the  poorest  and  the 
weakest  have  claims  upon  us.  We  are  also  informed 
that  the  way  to  true  greatness  is  through  service — 
"  He  that  will  be  the  greatest  among  you,  let  him  be 
the  servant  of  all." 

We  have  also  the  example  of  Christ  in  his  general 
service  to  humanity.  He  says  :  "  The  Son  of  man 
came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister." 
We  find  him  "always  doing  good."     He  comforted 


The  Ministry,  a  Service.  23 

the  sorrowing,  poured  sight  upon  the  blind,  opened 
the  deaf  ears,  and  raised  the  sick  from  beds  of  afflic- 
tion. He  passed  by  no  form  of  degradation,  no  loath- 
someness of  disease.  He  touched  the  poor  outcast 
leper,  and  made  him  clean.  What  a  busy  life  of  serv- 
ice did  Jesus  lead  !  On  foot  he  traveled  over  the 
hills  and  valleys  of  Palestine.  He  preached  in  the 
temple  and  in  the  synagogues  ;  on  the  mountain-side 
and  by  the  shore  of  the  sea  ;  to  vast  congregations 
and  to  single  individuals.  He  taught  the  multitudes 
all  day,  and  spent  parts  of  the  night  on  the  mount- 
ain-side in  prayer  ;  talked  to  his  disciples  while  they 
walked,  until,  hungry,  they  plucked  the  heads  of 
wheat  to  eat.  Weary  he  sat  down  at  the  well  of  Ja- 
cob, and  yet,  in  his  weariness,  spoke  those  words  of 
life  that  still  thrill  the  world.  That  sublime  utter- 
ance, "  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they  that  worship  him 
must  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth,"  is  still  ring- 
ing th]-ough  the  earth.  He  was  never  too  weary  to 
do  good. 

The  service  we  owe  is  the  service,  first,  of  body, 
soul,  and  spirit  to  God,  which  the  apostle  declares  a 
reasonable  service — consecrated  to  God,  devoted  per- 
petually to  him,  as  a  sacrifice,  slain,  and  yet  living. 
Then  we  owe  a  service  to  humanity.  As  Christ  gave 
himself  to  the  service  of  the  world,  so  he  dedicates 
all  who  are  consecrated  to  him  to  a  like  service. 
That  service  is,  teaching  the  children,  comforting  the 
sorrowing,  relieving  the  poor  and  wretched,  following 


24  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

the  wanderer,  reclaiming  the  prodigal,  bringing  home 
the  outcast,  lifting  up  the  downtrodden,  removing^ 
burdens  from  the  oppressed,  visiting  the  prisoner, 
substituting  smiles  for  frowns,  and  blessings  for 
curses.  It  is  to  purify,  elevate,  and  ennoble  society 
every-where.  There  is  not  a  human  being  within  the 
sphere  of  his  influence  to  whom  he  is  not  a  debtor. 
St.  Paul  says  :  "  I  am  debtor  both  to  the  Greeks,  and 
to  the  Barbarians  ;  both  to  the  wise,  and  to  the  un- 
wise." This  obligation  rests  upon  us,  because  we  are 
stewards  of  the  manifold  grace  of  God.  He  has  given 
us  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  the  experience  of 
grace  ;  not  for  ourselves  alone,  but  for  others.  The 
steward  who  embezzles  for  himself  the  money  intrust- 
ed to  his  care  to  be  paid  to  others  is  no  more  guilty 
than  the  minister  who,  receiving  gifts  of  grace  for  all 
around  him,  fails  to  bestow  those  gifts  upon  those  for 
whom  they  were  designed. 

The  ground  of  your  working  for  men  is  not  their 
deserts  ;  you  teach  them  not  because  they  deserve  to 
be  taught,  but  because  God  has  given  you  his  truth, 
and  has  sent  you  to  save  them.  You  are  never  to 
turn  away  from  any  one  because  he  neglects  you, 
misrepresents  you,  or  maltreats  you.  The  worse  the 
man  is,  the  more  imperative  is  the  duty  to  try  to  save 
him  ;  the  nearer  he  is  to  ruin,  the  more  intense  should 
be  your  effort  to  rescue  him.  Christ  stooped  from 
heaven  to  save  men  ;  and  the  minister  must  stoop  to 
rescue  the  lowest  of  the  low.     So,  as  a  good  house- 


TJie  Minister,  a  Builder.  25 

holder,  you  are  to  bring  out  of  the  treasury  thhigs 
both  new  and  old,  and  to  offer  a  wedding-garment  to 
every  guest,  that  he  may  sit  down  to  the  table  when 
the  Master  shall  appear. 

The  Church  of  God  is  represented  under  the  figure 
of  a  temple.  VVe  are  builders.  The  foundation  is 
composed  of  the  prophets  and  apostles,  Jesus  Christ 
himself  being  the  chief  corner-stone.  Slowly,  yet 
surely,  the  edifice  rises  ;  member  after  member  is 
joined  into  its  rising  structure,  as  living  stones. 
Some  of  the  materials  we  place  in  that  building  are 
as  gold  and  silver  and  precious  stones — educated, 
trained,  polished.  Christlike.  But  in  our  haste  and 
indolence  we  are  liable  to  introduce  others,  which  are 
like  wood,  hay,  and  stubble.  They  will  not  stand  the 
day  of  God's  examination.  The  great  Architect  casts 
them  away,  and  our  labor  is  lost.  We  ourselves,  if 
so  happy  as  to  be  in  that  grand  edifice,  shall  be  tried 
as  by  fire. 

You  are  shepherds  set  by  the  Lord  Jesus  to  watch 
over  the  flock  which  he  has  purchased  with  his  own 
blood.  You  are  to  rescue  and  bring  back  any  wan- 
dering sheep.  You  are  soldiers  in  the  army  of  Christ, 
marshaled  under  the  Captain  of  our  salvation.  The 
enemies  are  around  ;  the  contest  thickens  ;  you  are 
commanded  to  go  forward.  Where  the  battle  rages 
hottest,  there  is  the  post  of  honor.  How  constantly 
should  the  arms  be  ready,  that  the  word  of  command 
may  be   obeyed  !      And  yet,  how  prone  are  we  to 


26  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

lag  behind,  and   to  wish   for  hours  of  safety  and   of 
ease. 

Thirdly,  77i:'  transcendent  greatness  of  the  ministry 
is  seen  in  the  results  to  be  acJiievcd.  As  a  teacher,  the 
minister  takes  the  word  of  God  to  instruct  the  multi- 
tude ;  but  his  teaching  far  surpasses  in  its  scope  the 
teachings  of  the  schools.  Their  field  is  limited,  this 
is  infinite.  It  reaches  from  eternity  to  eternity.  Its 
glance  is  over  all  matter,  and  it  treats  of  angels  and 
of  God.  The  professors  in  college,  the  lecturers  in 
universities,  are  well  satisfied  when  they  have  impart- 
ed the  truth  clearly,  and  when  their  students  compre- 
hend it ;  but  at  that  point  the  teaching  of  the  minis- 
ter is  but  begun.  The  raw  recruit  in  the  army 
understands  the  word  of  command,  and  knows  what 
is  to  be  done,  but  fails  to  perform  correctly  or  grace- 
fully. The  young  lady  at  her  piano  knows  the  notes, 
understands  the  keys  of  her  instrument,  perceives 
what  keys  ought  to  be  touched  ;  but  untrained  fingers 
fail  to  bring  out  the  music.  The  minister  may  teach 
his  audience  the  doctrine  of  repentance,  may  explain 
its  nature  and  mode,  and  still  his  work  is  but  begun. 
He  is  not  merely  to  teach  his  audience  how  to  repent, 
but  to  bring  them  to  repentance  ;  not  to  teach  merely 
the  nature  of  prayer,  but  to  bring  his  congregation  to 
pray.  He  is  not  merely  to  present  the  cross  of 
Christ,  but  to  lead  the  people  to  its  foot.  He  is  not 
merely  to  tell  of  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  of  the 
conscious  joy  of  redeeming  love,   but   to  bring  his 


RcsuliS  of  Prcacliing.  27 

sympathizing  hearers  into  the  full  enjoyment  of  those 
glorious  blessings.  How  transcendently  glorious, 
and  yet  how  difficult,  the  work  of  the  preacher!  He 
stands  before  an  audience  of  hundreds  of  souls. 
They  are  of  every  possible  grade.  Some  are  Chris- 
tians of  partial  maturity  ;  some  are  babes  in  Christ ; 
some  are  thoughtful  inquirers  ;  some  are  unawakened 
sinners  ;  some  are  hardened  scoffers  ;  some  are  pro- 
fessed infidels  ;  some  are  moral  and  honest  in  their 
outward  lives  ;  others  are  intemperate,  profane,  lust- 
ful, or  covetous.  To  that  assembly  he  presents  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  holds  up  before  them,  as 
though  he  saw  him,  the  blessed  Saviour,  as  if  present 
before  them.  He  exhibits  him  in  his  majesty  and  in 
his  condescension,  in  his  purity  and  in  his  compas- 
sion, in  his  omnipotence  and  in  the  boundlessness  of 
his  love.  He  cries  :  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world  !  "  "  Look  unto  me, 
and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  !"  As  he 
holds  this  divine  Saviour  before  the  eyes  of  his  con- 
gregation, and  bears  witness  of  his  power,  they  see 
and  feel,  repent  and  believe.  The  heart  which  at 
first  says, 

"  Depth  of  mercy  !  can  there  be 
Mercy  still  reserved  for  me  ?  " 

looking  at  this  holy  vision,  feels  a  glorious  change, 
and  exultingly  cries  out, 

"  God  is  love  !  I  know,  I  feel : 
Jesus  weeps,  and  loves  me  still." 


28  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

His    precious   promise  is   fulfilled:  ''And  I,  if  I   be 
lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 

Your  work,  young  gentlemen,  is  to  take  that  multi- 
tudinous assemblage  of  variant  characters,  circum- 
stances, and  habits,  and  bring  them  into  the  image  of 
Christ.  Those  weak,  imperfect,  impure,  and  sinful 
beings  must  be  transformed  into  the  likeness  of  the 
glorious  Saviour.  Your  work  is  expressed  in  the 
language  of  the  apostle  :  "  Whom  we  preach,  warning 
every  man,  teaching  every  man  in  all  wisdom  ;  that 
we  may  present  every  man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus." 
And  again:  "Till  we  all  come  in  the  unity  of  the 
faith,  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God,  unto 
a  perfect  man,  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the 
fullness  of  Christ."  What  a  sublime  picture  is  here 
presented  !  The  making  every  man  to  stand  in  the 
stature  of  Christ — not  faintly,  not  partially,  but  in  the 
fullness  of  Christ.  This  is  the  unity  of  Christianity. 
His  grand  purpose  is  "to  gather  together  in  one  all 
things  in  Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven  and  which 
are  on  earth,  even  in  him."  The  transformation  is  a 
glorious  one,  for  "  we  all,  with  open  face,  beholding  as 
in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the 
same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord."  This  exhibition  of  Christ  before  the 
eyes  and  hearts  of  the  multitude,  that  all  may  see  and 
repent,  believe  and  enjoy,  is  Christian  preaching.  It 
is  the  word  of  God  presented  by  one  divinely  com- 
missioned, and  so  accompanied  by  the  power  of  the 


spiritual  Tnnsformation.  29 

Holy  Spirit  that  men  are  transformed  from  sinners 
to  saints.  Can  this  be  done?  It  was  done  by  the 
apostles.  We  have  the  same  word  ;  we  are  men  of 
like  passions ;  we  have  the  same  accompanying 
Spirit ;  men  need  the  same  transformation.  Is  the 
congregation  like  j-ough  blocks  from  the  quarry, 
from  which  the  beautiful  image  is  to  be  freed  by  the 
tool  of  the  sculptor  .-'  Are  they  like  wild  trees,  whose 
useless  branches  must  be  cut  off,  and  whose  supera- 
bundant twigs  must  be  pruned  .-'  God  has  given  us 
the  instrument :  "  The  word  of  God  is  quick  and  pow- 
erful, sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  piercing  even 
to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the 
joints  and  marrow,  and  is  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts 
and  intents  of  the  heart.  Neither  is  there  any  creat- 
ure that  is  not  manifest  in  his  sight."  Nor  can  that 
word  fail  ;  for  "  as  the  rain  cometh  down,  and  the 
snow  from  heaven,  and  returneth  not  thither,  but  wa- 
tereth  the  earth,  and  maketh  it  bring  forth  and  bud, 
that  it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower,  and  bread  to  the 
eater  :  so  shall  my  word  be  that  goeth  forth  out  of  my 
mouth  :  it  shall  not  return  unto  me  void,  but  it  shall 
accomplish  that  which  I  please,  and  it  shall  prosper 
in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it."  No  marvel  that  the 
evangelical  prophet,  in  exultation  at  the  glorious 
thought,  exclaims  :  "  For  ye  shall  go  out  with  joy, 
and  be  led  forth  with  peace  :  the  mountains  and  the 
hills  shall  break  forth  before  you  ihto  singing,  and  all 
the  trees  of  the  fields  shall  clap  their  hands.    Instead 


30  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

of  the  thorn  shall  come  up  the  fir-tree,  and  instead  of 
the  brier  shall  come  up  the  myrtle-tree  ;  and  it  shall  be 
to  the  Lord  for  a  name,  for  an  everlasting  sign  which 
shall  not  be  cut  off."  What  an  exhibition  of  the  re- 
newing power  of  the  Gospel !  Earth's  curse  was, 
that  it  should  bring  forth  thorns  and  thistles.  But 
when  man  is  regenerated  that  curse  seems  to  pass 
away  ;  when  the  Gospel,  under  the  preaching  of  true 
Christian  preachers,  shall  have  filled  the  whole  earth, 
then,  indeed,  will  there  be  a  new  heaven  and  a  new 
earth.  Until  that  time  we  must  preach  on.  Nor 
must  we  be  diverted  from  our  work  by  any  suggestion 
that  society  cannot  be  reformed,  or  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  will  come  visibly  to  cut  off  the  wicked  and  to 
reign  as  a  temporal  king.  I  have  respect  for  good 
men  who  teach  this  doctrine,  but  none  for  the  doc- 
trine itself  Analyzed,  it  shows  a  lack  of  faith  in  the 
power  of  God's  word  ;  a  spirit  of  indolence,  that  is 
unwilling  to  face  calmly  and  patiently  the  thought  of 
long  ages  of  toil  and  sacrifice  ;  a  spirit  of  vengeance, 
that  calls  for  fire  to  come  down  from  heaven.  They 
think  it  easier  to  kill  men  than  to  convert  them. 

Fourthly,  TJiis preacJiing  is  to  be  a  perpetual  agency. 
Other  systems  may  change,  other  plans  may  fail ; 
but  this  never.  It  is  the  sovereign  decree  of  the 
Almighty  God,  that  by  preaching  the  Gospel  of  his 
Son  men  shall  be  saved.  To  the  Jew  this  preaching 
was  a  stumbling-block.  It  took  from  him  all  his 
splendid  ceremonials.     His  temple  was  no  longer  the 


I 


Creek  Philosophy.  31 

exclusively  holy  place.  Jerusalem  was  no  longer  to 
be  the  central  home  of  God's  people  ;  the  Jewish  race 
was  no  longer  the  peculiar  people  of  God.  The  whole 
earth  was  to  be  a  worshiping  temple.  Walls  of  par- 
tition were  to  be  broken  down,  all  races  to  be  brought 
on  one  platform,  and  all  humanity  to  become  kings  and 
priests  to  God.  No  wonder  it  was  to  him  a  stum- 
bling-block. But  to  the  Greek — the  lover  of  wisdom 
and  philosophy — the  man  devoted  to  science — it  was 
foolishness.  To  such  minds  it  is  foolishness  still. 
The  Greek  remembered  the  glorious  record  of  his 
na'ion  for  centuries  previous — a  record  of  poet?, 
painters,  sculptors,  historians,  statesmen,  and  war- 
riors. To  him  his  nation  was  the  center  of  knowl- 
edge and  civilization.  Athens  was  the  concentration 
of  the  refinement,  culture,  and  mental  power  of  the 
world.  It  had  ruled  in  other  days  by  its  learning 
more  than  by  its  arms.  To  him  the  highest  attain- 
ment of  humanity  was  the  knowledge  of  art,  litera- 
ture, and  science.  The  pencil  of  Apelles,  the  chisel  of 
Praxiteles,  the  oratory  of  Demosthenes,  the  academic 
teachings  of  Plato,  the  practical  philosophy  of  Soc- 
rates, the  keen  logic  of  Aristotle,  the  histories  of 
Herodotus  and  Thucydides,  the  poetry  of  Homer  and 
Euripides,  the  statesmanship  of  Pericles,  and  the 
military  deeds  of  Miltiades,  were  the  glory  of  the 
nation.  Their  books,  academies,  and  temples  were 
the  honor  of  the  land.  These  were  the  marks  of 
their  civilization,  and  the  indices  of  their  future  glory. 


32  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

To  be  told  that  all  this  was  insignificant ;  that  the  only 
way  to  triumph  over  the  passions  and  impulses  of  the 
heart,  the  only  ascent  to  the  favor  of  God,  and  to  fu- 
ture grandeur  and  glory,  was  to  come  from  telling 
the  story  of  a  crucified  Saviour  ;  that  by  exhibiting 
before  the  minds  of  the  people  one  who  was  a  Jew 
by  birth,  but  who  said  he  was  the  Son  of  God — one  of 
pure,  spotless  life,  and  yet  crucified  between  thieves — 
buried  in  a  tomb  guarded  by  Roman  soldiers,  and  yet 
who  rose  the  third  day,  lived  on  earth  for  a  time,  and 
then  ascended  to  heaven — earth's  whole  aspect  would 
be  changed  :  to  be  told  that  belief  in  him  was  the  only 
way  by  which  humanity  could  gain  purity,  happiness, 
and  a  higher  civilization,  can  we  wonder  that  they 
said,  "  It  is  foolishness  ?"  Men  of  science  say  so  to- 
day ;  and  yet  by  that  preaching,  which  they  call  "  fool- 
ishness," it  is  God's  eternal  and  immutable  purpose  to 
save  them  that  believe.  It  has  so  saved  in  the  past ;  it 
is  saving  still.  It  has  been  the  light  of  our  civilization, 
and  its  beams  are  scattering  the  darkness  of  the  world. 
Some  tell  us  that  society  has  changed  ;  that  the 
pulpit  has  lost  its  power  ;  that  men  will  no  longer  be 
attracted.  But  every  now  and  then  a  preacher  rises 
who  attracts  the  multitude,  and  rivets  their  attention 
upon  the  truth.  Such  men  are  given  to  us  to  show 
the  possibilities  of  the  pulpit,  and  to  point  to  a  time 
when,  instead  of  decreasing,  it  shall  accomplish 
grander  results.  Some  tell  us  that  the  press  has 
superseded  the  pulpit  ;  that  men  need  no  longer  be 


Pulpit  Power.  33 

hearers,  because  they  are  readers.  The  Bible  is  in 
their  hands  ;  and  if  they  need  expositions  or  explana- 
tions, they  have  the  works  of  great  commentators. 
Why  should  they  hear  sermons,  or  listen  to  preach- 
ers of  little  experience,  and  of  only  average  mental 
strength  and  culture  .''  But  they  forget  the  human 
element :  the  power  of  man  over  his  fellow-men  ;  the 
force  derived  from  experience  ;  the  visible  embodi- 
ment of  ideal  truth.  Preaching  is  not  merely,  as  I 
have  said,  the  delivery  of  the  message,  but  the  de- 
livery of  the  message  by  a  man  who  professes  to 
have  felt  its  power,  and  who  testifies  to  its  truth  in 
his  own  experience.  The  preacher  not  only  pro- 
claims the  truth,  but  stands  as  a  personal  witness  of 
its  saving  power.  In  other  matters  men  rely  on  the 
same  influences.  What  political  party  would  go  into 
an  excited  canvass  relying  merely  on  articles  from 
the  press  .■'  The  press  is,  indeed,  a  valuable  auxiliary. 
It  reports  the  strong  thoughts  of  the  clear  thinkers  ; 
but  every  party  must  have  its  conventions,  its  evening 
meetings,  its  stump  speakers.  Without  these  it  fails. 
What  would  the  temperance  reformation  be  without 
these  speakers,  who  themselves  have  been  reformed  .'' 
What  would  Murphy's  influence  be  through  the 
press  alone  .'*  It  is  the  man  who  was  a  drunkard  re- 
duced to  wretchedness,  and  who  was  in  jail  when  the 
word  of  God  found  him,  recovered  him,  and  elevated 
him,  that  they  crowd  to  hear.  When  that  man  stands 
before  an  audience,  tells  the  story  of  his  fall,  his  sor- 


34  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

row,  his  wretchedness,  and  then  of  his  repentance, 
liis  reformation,  his  triuinph  over  appetite,  and  his 
happiness,  the  hearts  of  men  are  stirred,  and  many 
a  captive  spirit  longs  for  Hberty.  Who  cares  to 
read  the  lectures  of  a  Gough  ?  And  yet,  though  he 
tolls  the  same  story  over  and  over,  the  largest  edifices 
are  crowded  almost  beyond  endurance  to  hear  him. 
Wendell  Phillips  has  been  for  more  than  thirty  years 
hunting  for  "  the  lost  arts  ; "  the  synopsis  of  his 
lecture  has  been  published  over  and  over  again  ;  and 
yet  those  who  have  read  and  those  who  have  heard 
him  hasten  to  hear  him  again.  The  words  of  Shak- 
speare,  which  are  in  almost  every  library,  yet,  ut- 
tered by  men  of  dramatic  power,  draw  to  the  theater 
crowds  for  sometimes  a  hundred  successive  nights. 
It  is  the  mat),  who  embodies  and  impersonates  the 
ideas,  which  they  wish  to  see  and  hear.  Some  things 
never  grow  old.  The  songs  our  mothers  sung  to  us 
in  childhood  are  still  the  sweetest  music  to  our  ears. 
"  Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep "  was  the  evening 
prayer  of  Quincy  Adams,  when  in  the  presidential 
chair.  The  very  men  who  denounce  the  pulpit  as  a 
failure,  and  declare  it  to  be  superseded,  are  them- 
selves unwilling  to  trust  the  press  alone.  The  no- 
torious IngersoU,  who  denounces  Christianity  and 
denies  the  being  of  a  God,  is  unwilling  to  trust  to  his 
writings,  but  eagerly  mounts  the  platform  to  address 
the  people.  Thus  he  "steals,"  not  "the  livery,"  but 
the  agency,  "  of  heaveny  to  serve  the  devil  in."    Eras- 


P tracking  Perpetital.  35 

mus  says  :  "  The  devil  is  a  preacher  ;  he  preached  to 
Eve,  and  seduced  the  human  race." 

Christian  preaching  shall  never  fail.  The  great 
Commander  uttered  his  orders  of  march  centuries 
ago.  He  never  changes  his  plans,  and  will  not  be 
defeated.  His  ascending  orders  were,  "  Go  preach  !  " 
and  these  stand  good  until  he  come  again.  Into 
what  an  illustrious  company  does  the  young  minister 
enter !  When  Isaiah  beheld  them  in  vision  he  ex- 
claimed :  "  How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are 
the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth  good  tidings,  that  p.ib- 
lisheth  peace  ;  that  bringeth  good  tidings  of  good, 
that  publisheth  salvation  ;  that  saith  unto  Zion,  Thy 
God  reigneth  !  Thy  watchmen  shall  lift  up  the  voice  ; 
with  the  voice  together  shall  they  sing :  for  they  shall 
see  eye  to  eye,  when  the  Lord  shall  bring  again  Zion." 

The  long  line  of  preachers  extends  in  unbroken 
succession  from  Christ  himself  to  the  present  hour. 
A  line,  did  I  say.''  More  than  a  line — a  pyramid  of 
which  he  is  the  apex,  which,  each  succeeding  year,  rises 
in  altitude  and  widens  in  its  base,  and  will  rise,  and 
will  widen,  until  it  covers  all  lands,  and  the  living 
preacher  shall  be  seen  and  heard  by  every  child  of 
Adam  on  the  globe.  It  is  an  unbroken  succession — 
not  by  the  ordinations  of  men,  nor  by  the  hands  of 
men,  nor  by  the  will  of  men,  but  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  It  is  a  holy  fellowship,  a  glorious  asso- 
ciation. It  has  had  its  spots.  All  have  been  men 
of  like  passions  with  us.     Some  entered  the  ministry 


36  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

without  a  divine  call  ;  others  have  been  overborne  by 
passion.  Some  "  concerning  the  faith  have  made 
shipwreck,  of  whom  is  Hymeneus  and  Alexander  ;" 
"  Demas  hath  forsaken  me,  having  loved  this  present 
world."  Peter  denied  his  Master,  and  Judas  be- 
trayed him.  Men  have  disgraced  themselves,  and 
brought  reproach  upon  the  office  ;  but  it  still  lives 
and  strengthens,  because  Christ  lives  with  it,  and  has 
determined  that  it  shall  stand.  He  walks  among  the 
candlesticks,  and  holds  the  stars  in  his  right  hand. 

Lastly,  Pause  a  moment  to  think  of  your  responsibil- 
ity. You  enter  this  holy  brotherhood  ;  you  take 
upon  you  holy  vows  ;  you  perform  sacred  functions. 
If  you  faithfully  proclaim  the  Saviour;  if  you  skill- 
fully handle  the  two-edged  sword  ;  if  you  wisely  pierce 
b^ween  the  sinner  and  his  sins  ;  if  you  earnestly 
exhibit  the  Lord  Jesus  in  all  his  beauty  ;  if  you  live 
for  this  one  work  alone  ;  if  you  study,  pray,  preach, 
and  visit,  to  make  all  men  like  Christ,  then  your 
reward  will  be  glorious.  The  promise  is  :  "  They  that 
be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firma- 
ment ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness,  as 
the  stars  for  ever  and  ever."  Star  may  differ  from 
star  in  glory,  but  all  shall  be  radiant  with  the  light 
of  Jehovah's  face.  But  should  you  handle  the  word 
of  God  deceitfully  ;  should  you,  as  embassadors,  for- 
get God's  message,  and  tell  your  own  words  ;  should 
you  forget  the  Majesty  which  sent  you,  and  court  the 
applause  of  the  people  to  whom  you  are  sent ;  should 


Mhiistcrial  Responsibility.  37 

you  woo  their  smiles  or  court  their  favor,  neglecting 
the  message  which  God  bids  you  preach  ;  should  you, 
as  watchmen,  see  the  sword  coming,  and  give  no 
alarm  ;  should  you,  as  stewards,  embezzle  the  goods 
which  God  gives  you  for  others  ;  should  you,  as 
builders,  put  in  wood,  hay,  and  stubble  ;  should  you, 
as  pastors,  devour  the  flocks  you  are  sent  to  feed  ; 
should  you,  as  soldiers,  fly  from  the  field  in  the  day  of 
battle  ;  should  your  trumpet  give  an  uncertain  sound, 
and  souls  go  down  to  ruin  through  your  negligence 
and  fault,  who  can  measure  the  awful  consequences  ? 
I  shudder  when  I  think  of  what  is  in  the  range  of 
possibilities,  and  of  the  terrible  inquisition  which  God 
shall  make,  when  he  shall  ask.  Where  is  your  broth- 
er ?  and  your  ears  are  opened  to  hear  the  voice  of  his 
blood  crying  from  the  ground.  Better  would  it  be 
never  to  have  been  born  ;  better  would  it  be  were 
millstones  hanged  around  your  necks,  and  you  cast 
into  the  depths  of  the  sea  ;  better  that  rocks  and 
mountains  might  fall  upon  }'t)u,  to  hide  you  from 
"  the  face  of  Him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from 
the  wrath  of  the  Lamb."  "  But,  beloved,  we  are  per- 
suaded better  things  of  you,  and  things  that  accom- 
pany salvation,  though  we  thus  speak," 


38  Lectures  on  Preaching. 


LECTURE  IL 

THE   CALL   TO    THE   MINISTRY. 

'TT^HE  subject  which  next  demands  our  attention 
■*-  is,  T\i^  persojinel  of  the  ministry,  or  who  should 
enter  that  sacred  office.  Two  points  are  worthy  of 
special  consideration:  First,  Do  the  Scriptures  teach 
that  there  is  a  special  call  to  the  work  of  the  min- 
istry ?  Secondly,  If  so,  by  what  evidence  may  a 
young  man  be  assured  that  he  is  so  called  ? 

The  reasonableness  of  a  divine  call  may  be  inferred 
from  the  structure  of  the  Church,  and  the  titles  given 
to  it.  It  is  the  body  of  Christ,  himself  being  the 
glorious  Head.  As  the  brain  directs  the  human 
frame,  so  does  Christ  the  Church.  All  the  plans  are 
from  him.  * 

The  Church  is  represented  as  a  kingdom  over 
which  Christ  reigns.  Though  invisible,  he  inspires 
its  movements,  and  has  promised  to  be  present  with 
his  ministers.  They  are  his  agents,  his  embassadors  ; 
they  stand  in  his  stead.  Every  earthly  government 
selects  the  embassadors  which  it  sends.  It  would  be 
an  offense  to  its  majesty  for  one  not  selected  by  it- 
self to  appear  as  its  representative.  So  we  may  well 
suppose  that  Christ  selects  his  own  ministers,  whom 


Call  to  the  Ministiy.  39 

he  sends  forth  to  proclaim  his  message,  and  to  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  his  kingdom. 

The  Church  is  a  vast  army.  The  Captain  of  our 
salvation  directs  its  movements.  It  is  his  preroga- 
tive to  select  the  ofificers  who  are  to  marshal  this 
army,  and  to  appoint  them  to  their  places,  that  the 
great  plans  of  his  campaign  may  be  carefully  carried 
out.  He  is  the  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep.  He 
owns  the  flock  for  which  he  gave  his  life.  It  is  his 
right  to  appoint  pastors  after  his  own  heart  to  feed 
that  flock. 

Another  indication  is  found  in  the  Jewish  dispen- 
sation. God  selected  the  tribe  of  Levi  and  the  fam- 
ily of  Aaron  to  minister  before  him.  From  time  to 
time  he  raised  up  prophets  as  teachers,  judges,  and 
leaders  of  the  people,  selected  at  his  own  pleasure. 
So  might  we  not  expect  that  in  the  Christian  dispen- 
sation the  teachers  should  be  chosen  by  himself .-' 

We  are  not  left,  however,  to  mere  conjecture  or 
reason  in  a  matter  so  important.  The  example  of 
Christ  is  authoritative.  Early  in  his  ministry  he 
selected  a  few  disciples,  and  enjoined  them  to  follow 
him.  After  their  number  had  increased,  he  chose 
twelve  by  name  for  a  special  office.  Subsequently 
he  selected  seventy,  whom  he  set  apart,  and  whom  he 
sent  forth — to  go  before  him  into  every  city,  to  preach 
and  to  do  wonderful  works  in  his  name.  After  his 
resurrection  he  commissioned  his  disciples  to  go  "  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creat- 


40  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

ure,"  enjoining  upon  them,  at  the  same  time,  to  tarry 
in  Jerusalem  until  they  were  "endued  with  power 
from  on  high."  After  his  ascension  Matthias  was 
selected  by  lot  to  fill  the  place  of  Judas,  after  prayer 
had  been  offered  that  God  would  show  whom  he  had 
chosen.  St.  Paul,  also,  was  in  a  miraculous  manner 
directly  called  to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  It  is  re- 
markable how  frequently  be  refers  to  the  fact  of  his 
calling.  Many  of  his  epistles  commence  with  the 
declaration  that  he  is  "  an  apostle  called  of  God,"  or 
"  by  the  commandment  of  God,"  or  "  by  the  will  of 
God."  He  indicates,  also,  the  divine  selection  of 
Timothy,  when  he  says  :  "  Stir  up  the  gift  of  God, 
which  is  in  thee." 

After  the  ascension  of  Christ  we  find  a  difference 
in  the  mode  of  the  call.  When  he  selected  his  twelve 
disciples,  and  when  he  set  apart  the  seventy,  he 
spake  to  each  one  audibly.  He  made  the  selection 
visibly  and  publicly,  that  all  might  know  and  recog- 
nize their  authority.  So  when  Paul  was  added  to  the 
apostles,  though  Christ  had  ascended  to  heaven,  yet 
he  appeared  to  him  near  Damascus,  took  the  perse- 
cutor captive,  and  appointed  him  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry.  But  the  period  of  this  direct,  or  audible, 
call  passed  away.  Neither  by  a  voice  from  heaven, 
nor  by  the  light  of  divine  glory,  nor  by  any  other  ex- 
ternal agency,  was  it  directly  given.  It  came,  how- 
ever, none  the  less  from  Christ.  He  ascended  on 
high,  and  received  gifts  for  men.     And  it  is  added  : 


Scriptural  TeacJihig.  41 

"  He  gave  some,  apostles  ;  and  some,  prophets  ;  and 
some,  evangelists  ;  and  some,  pastors  and  teachers  ; 
for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  for  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ." 
Thus  the  selection  of  those  given  to  the  Church  was 
in  the  hands  of  its  great  Head,  who  had  "  sat  down 
on  the  right  hand  of  God  ;  .  .  .  expecting  till  his  ene- 
mies be  made  his  footstool."  If  any  change  were 
made  in  the  economy  of  the  Church  in  this  respect, 
it  is  incumbent  on  those  who  allege  this  change  to 
produce  their  authority.  But  no  such  authority  can 
be  found.  The  true  minister,  in  the  present  as  in  the 
apostolic  age,  is  called  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  his  sacred 
office.  "  No  man  taketh  this  honor  unto  himself,  but 
he  that  is  called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron."  Such  were 
the  teachings  of  the  ancient  Church.  St.  Chrysos- 
tom  says  :  "  No  man,  nor  angel,  nor  archangel,  nor 
created  power,  but  the  Paraclete  himself,  has  insti- 
tuted this  office,  and  chosen  beings  yet  living  in  the 
flesh  to  fulfill  the  ministry  of  angels."  Such,  also, 
has  been  the  teaching  of  the  Church,  in  its  leading 
branches,  down  to  the  present  time.  In  several  of 
them  every  candidate  for  the  ministry  is  required  to 
say  that  he  believes  he  is  "  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  take  upon  him  the  work  of  the  ministry." 

In  what,  then,  does  the  divine  call  consist .''  or  how 
is  a  young  man  to  be  perfectly  assured  that  he  is 
called  of  God  .''  This  question  is  of  immense  moment 
to  every  young  minister.     \\'ithout  this  assurance,  in 


42  Lectures  ox  Preaching, 

moments  of  darkness,  temptation,  and  despondency, 
he  will  be  assailed  with  doubts ;  he  will  question 
whether  he  was  ever  called  to  preach  ;  he  will  be  led 
to  inquire  whether  it  is  not  his  duty  to  abandon  the 
ministry.  The  more  strictly  conscientious  he  is,  the 
deeper  will  be  his  questionings,  and  the  greater  his 
perplexity.  But  if  he  doubts,  he  is  shorn  of  much  of 
his  power.  The  doubter  never  accomplishes  much  : 
"  A  double-minded  man  is  unstable  in  all  his  ways." 
The  man  of  deep  conviction,  even  though  he  occa- 
sionally errs,  is  the  man  of  power.  Thomas,  who,  I 
suppose,  seldom  made  a  mistake,  is  never  heard  of 
except  in  asking  questions  or  expressing  doubts  ; 
and,  so  far  as  New  Testament  history  goes,  he  is  not 
mentioned  in  the  early,  triumphant  spread  of  the 
Gospel.  While  Peter,  confident  even  to  boldness  and 
recklessness,  received  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  to  open  its  doors  to  the  Gentile  world. 

The  first  evidence  of  a  divine  call  is  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  individual,  and  is  a  persuasion 
which,  slight  as  it  may  be  at  first,  deepens  into  an 
intense  conviction  that  he  is  called  of  God  to  preach 
the  Gospel.  There  is  not  quite  so  much  unanimity 
among  writers  or  Churches  as  to  the  mode  of  this 
call,  as  to  the  fact  of  the  call  itself.  Some  writers  of 
distinguished  talent  and  of  high  position  distinguish 
between  what  they  term  the  ordinary  and  the  extra- 
ordinary call.  In  the  ordinary  call,  they  teach  that 
the   young   man    arrives  at   the  conviction   that  he 


Ordinary  Call.  43 

should  preach,  from  the  consideration  of  his  quahfica- 
tions,  mental  tendencies,  and  surrounding  circum- 
stances ;  that  the  same  influences  lead  him  to  enter 
the  ministry,  which,  with  some  changes,  would  have 
led  him  to  enter  the  profession  of  medicine  or  law,  or 
to  engage  in  some  special  secular  pursuit.  He  sim- 
ply follows  the  indications  of  Providence  manifested 
in  his  own  nature  and  in  the  world  around  him. 
These  are  found  in  his  physical  power,  intellectual 
capacity,  fondness  for  study,  readiness  of  utterance, 
benevolent  tendency,  and  religious  life.  He  beholds 
around  him  a  world  lying  in  wickedness.  Men  are 
going  astray.  He  has  felt  in  his  own  heart  the  love 
of  God,  with  an  accompanying  desire  to  do  all  the 
good  he  can,  and  looks  upon  the  work  of  the  ministry 
as  a  work  of  benevolence  and  love.  He  believes  that 
he  could  be  useful  in  teaching  the  ignorant,  and  in 
elevating  the  aspirations  of  the  young ;  in  holding 
the  attention  of  congregations,  and  in  persuading  them 
to  believe  the  word  of  the  Lord.  He  reasons  within 
himself,  and  says,  that  as  a  minister  he  thinks  he 
could  do  more  good  than  as  a  physician  ;  that  he  feels 
an  aversion  to  attending  the  sick,  almost  a  horror  of 
surgical  operations,  a  doubt  whether  he  could  bear 
the  frequent  loss  of  sleep  or  the  intense  strain  of 
anxiety  connected  with  the  profession,  or  whether  he 
could  confront  the  dangers  which  terrible  epidemics 
might  impose.  He  has  some  scruples  in  reference 
to  the  law  ;  has  a  vague  idea  that  possibly  he  could 


44  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

scarcely  keep  a  good  conscience  amid  the  solicitation 
of  clients  and  the  temptation  of  fees.  He  even 
doubts  whether  he  is  quite  fitted  for  the  quick  repar- 
tee and  for  the  acrimonious  controversy  which  so 
often  occur;  and  whether  he  could  bear  the  respon- 
sibility of  having  the  life  of  a  man  dependent  upon 
the  success  with  which  he  might  be  able  to  plead  his 
cause  before  a  jury.  So  he  selects  the  ministry, 
honestly  and  sincerely  believing  that  thereby  he  can 
best  promote  his  own  happiness  and  the  welfare  of 
humanity. 

This,  I  believe,  is  a  fair  statement  of  the  views  held 
by  those  who  regard  the  selection  of  the  ministry  as  de- 
termined merely  by  the  questions  of  qualification  and 
adaptation.  I  have  purposely  omitted  the  influence 
of  unworthy  motives,  such  as  the  consideration  of  the 
ministry  affording  a  comfortable  livelihood,  or  of 
seeking  to  be  "  put  in  the  priest's  office  for  a  piece 
of  bi'ead  ; "  or  motives  arising  from  the  pulpit  being 
a  forum,  where  eloquence  might  be  displayed,  orator- 
ical power  exhibited,  and  applause  gained  ;  or  the 
consideration  of  the  association  of  the  ministry  being 
with  that  class  of  the  community  which  is  most  in- 
telligent, tasteful,  and  enterprising.  Even  these  last 
motives  may  properly  be  considered  in  selecting  a 
mere  secular  employment  or  profession  ;  but  those 
first  enumerated  are  essential  to  any  proper  choice 
of  business  by  a  Christian  man.  For  by  providential 
indications  one  may  feel  satisfied  that  it  is  best  to 


Divine  Call.  45 

commence  a  certain  employment,  and  that  in  it  the 
approbation  of  God  will  rest  upon  him.  Yet  this  is 
not  what  I  think  the  Scriptures  teach  by  a  divine 
call.  Paul  did  not  enter  the  ministry  because  he  had 
been  schooled  in  Cilicia,  or  had  been  brought  up  at  the 
feet  of  Gamaliel,  or  had  superior  powers  of  logic  or 
oratory,  or  because  he  preferred  it  to  some  other  oc- 
cupation. He  preached  because  he  had  received  from 
Christ  authority  and  a  command  to  preach  the  Gos- 
pel. He  was  directly  sent  ;  as  Jesus  had  said,  "  As 
the  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you."  So 
was  it  with  all  the  apostles.  I  do  not  deny  that  the 
motives  named  may  be  worthy  of  consideration  in 
their  appropriate  place.  They  may  be  regarded  as 
coincident  with  and  confirmatory  of  a  higher  call. 
But  I  believe  the  true  call  to  the  ministry  contains  a 
supernatural  element  not  embraced  in  this  descrip- 
tion of  an  ordinary  call. 

The  extraordinary  call  of  such  writers,  or  what  I 
deem  the  true  call  to  the  ministry,  does  not  consist 
in  any  audible  voice,  in  any  vision  or  dream,  or  in 
any  extraordinary  external  circumstances.  The  mes- 
sage which  God  sends  is  spiritual.  Like  a  still,  small 
voice,  it  influences  the  inner  nature,  and  is  extraor- 
dinary only  in  that  it  is  a  special  divine  communica- 
tion. In  its  slightest  form  it  is  a  persuasion  that  he 
who  receives  it  ought  to  preach  the  Gospel ;  in  its 
strongest  form,  that  God  requires  him  to  do  this 
work  at  the  peril  of  his  soul.     Even  in  its   faintest 


46  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

form  there  is  this  distinction  between  a  call  to  the 
ministry  and  a  choice  of  other  professions  :  a  young: 
man  may  ivish  to  be  a  physician  ;  he  may  dcsjj-e  to 
enter  the  army;  he  would  like  to  be  a  farmer  ;  but  . 
he  feels  he  ought  to  be  a  minister.  It  is  this  feeling 
of  OUGHT,  or  obligation,  which,  in  its  feeblest  form, 
indicates  the  divine  call.  It  is  not  in  the  aptitude, 
taste,  or  desire,  but  in  the  conscience,  that  its  root  is 
found.  It  is  God's  voice  to  the  human  conscience, 
saying,  "  You  ought  to  preach." 

In  cases  where  children  have  been  dedicated  to  the 
ministry,  where  the  heart  has  early  submitted  to  di- 
vine influence,  and  where  associations  and  studies 
have  been  directed  to  this  one  end,  it  may,  for  a  time, 
be  difficult  to  distinguish  between  the  purpose,  or 
expectation,  and  the  feeling  of  duty.  That  feeling 
becomes  strongest  when  there  is  a  conflict  of  motives  ; 
but  in  the  depraved  human  heart  that  conflict  will 
surely  arise.  The  holiness  connected  with  the  idea 
of  preaching  is  not  in  harmony  with  man's  native 
tendency  ;  and  even  in  those  who  are  religious  from 
childhood  the  strength  of  that  native  tendency  will 
sooner  or  later  be  manifest. 

The  conviction  that  one  ought  to  preach  may  arise 
prior  to  conversion.  Especially  is  this  the  case 
where  the  young  man  has  been  blessed  with  a  relig- 
ious education,  and  has  been  the  subject  of  deep  re- 
ligious impressions,  though  he  has  not  fully  yielded 
his  heart  to  God.     A  few  cases  I  have  known,  where 


Personal  Conviction.  47 

thoughtful,  talented,  and  generally  conscientious 
young  men  have  stumbled  at  this  point.  They  have 
feared  to  submit  themselves  wholly  to  the  divine  will, 
lest  it  might  be  their  duty  to  preach  the  Gospel.  But 
never  are  such  persons  converted  until  they  are  will- 
ing to  be  and  to  do  whatever  God  may  require.  Gen- 
erally, however,  the  impression  that  one  is  called  to 
the  ministry  arises  after  conversion.  Sometimes  it 
comes  in  the  very  moment  of  conversion  ;  and,  with 
the  peace  that  calms  the  troubled  spirit,  there  is  a 
yearning  to  bring  the  world  to  the  foot  'bf  the  cross. 
Usually  this  conviction  arises  in  the  early  stages  of 
a  religious  life,  and  especially  when  the  young  Chris- 
tian begins  to  speak  and  pray  in  the  social  meetings. 
Then  a  greater  work  rises  before  him,  and  he  feels 
it  to  be  his  duty  to  persuade  sinners  to  be  reconciled 
to  God.  In  some  cases  this  impression  gradually 
unfolds  itself  like  the  dawning  of  the  morning  before 
the  rising  of  the  sun.  In  other  cases  it  comes  almost 
with  the  suddenness  and  dazzling  power  of  the 
lightning's  flash. 

Admitting  the  existence  of  this  conviction,  how  is 
it  known  to  be  of  divine  origin  .?  Consciousness  tells 
us  the  persuasion  is  there  ;  but  how  can  we  know 
whence  it  comes .''  I  think  there  is  nothing  un- 
philosophical  in  referring  it  to  a  pure  spiritual  source, 
even  to  God  himself  In  this  respect  it  resembles 
the  work  of  conversion.  Peace  springs  up  in  the 
heart,  but  whence  that  peace  comes  consciousness 


48  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

alone  cannot  tell.      Yet  the  true  Christian  at  once, 
and  correctly,  ascribes  it  to  a  divine  source. 

There  is  a  school  of  philosophy,  represented  by 
Coleridge,  which  admits  the  existence  of  religious  im- 
pressions on  the  human  mind,  and  that  they  come 
from  a  divine  source  ;  but  it  denies  that  any  man 
can  affirm  that  the  impression  he  has  is  frcm  God. 
They  say  we  can  have  no  knowledge  of  the  origin  of 
our  impressions,  because  they  are  known  to  us  only 
through  consciousness  ;  this  consciousness,  being  only 
a  knowledge-of  our  own  internal  states,  can  give  us  no 
information  of  their  origin ;  and  hence,  while  admitting 
that  the  Christian  is  born  of  God,  it  is  denied  that  we 
can  have  any  knowledge  of  it  except  by  way  of  infer- 
ence from  our  mental  states.  The  same  reasoning  is 
applied  to  the  doctrine  of  the  ministerial  call.  That  is, 
a  young  man  ma}^  be  truly  called  of  God,  but  it  is 
impossible  for  him  to  know  it  except  by  way  of  in- 
ference from  surrounding  indications.  This  philos- 
ophy I  believe  to  be  radically  defective. 

I  have  not  time  now  to  enter  into  a  metaphysical 
disquisition.  This  lectureship  is  not  the  place.  Yet 
I  believe  that  the  same  mental  constitution  which 
necessitates  us  to  refer  some  internal  impressions 
to  external,  visible,  and  material  objects,  leads  us, 
with  equal  force  and  certainty,  to  refer  other  im- 
pressions to  external,  invisible,  and  spiritual  sources. 
You  well  know,  young  gentlemen,  that,  strictly 
speaking,  we  know  nothing    of  the  material  world. 


Spiritual  Impressions.  49 

We  have  sensations,  or  impressions,  within  us ; 
we  know  them  only  by  consciousness  ;  but  by  a  law 
of  our  nature,  antecedent  to,  quicker  and  stronger 
than  reasoning,  we  refer  these  impressions  to  an 
external  source  ;  and,  in  common  life,  no  man  doubts 
that  he  sees,  hears,  and  touches  a  material  world. 
It  is  only  the  philosopher  who  reasons  and  doubts. 
But,  amid  the  impressions  within  us,  there  are  some 
we  cannot  refer  to  visible  matter.  They  either 
spring  up  within  us  from  some  law  of  our  being,  or 
they  come  to  us  from  some  invisible  source.  And 
I  repeat,  there  is  nothing  more  unphilosophical  in 
referring  an  impression  which  is  not  of  ourselves 
to  a  spiritual,  than  to  a  material,  origin.  The  fact 
that  men  do  refer  certain  mental  impressions  to  an 
invisible  origin  is  the  foundation  of  all  religious 
faith.  It  gives  the  conviction  of  the  unseen,  though 
that  unseen  may  be  unknown.  Fancy  paints  it  in  its 
own  colors,  and  wild  have  been  the  imaginings  about 
ghosts  and  demons  in  various  forms. 

The  reference  to  external  nature  is  verified  by  our 
senses.  The  different  senses  give  corroborative  and 
cumulative  testimony  until  absolute  certainty  is 
produced.  The  impressions  as  to  the  invisible  are 
corroborated  and  confirmed  by  revelation.  In  that 
we  find  there  is  an  invisible  world  of  spirit  and  angel ; 
there  we  find  that  in  our  creation  God  breathed  upon 
us,  and  we  became  living  souls  ;  that  in  the  new  dis- 
pensation Christ  breathed  upon  his  disciples,  and 
4 


50  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

they  received  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  became  new  creat- 
ures. Hence  we  learn,  first,  the  possibility  of  the 
blessed  Saviour  breathing  on  our  hearts,  creating 
impressions  within  us.  We  learn,  further,  that 
he  is  the  source  of  the  pure  and  holy  ;  that  every 
thing  good  and  perfect  comes  from  above.  By  our 
own  consciousness  we  know  that  what  arises  within 
us  of  ourselves  is  tainted,  and  oftentimes  impure. 
When,  then,  impressions  of  purity  and  holiness  and 
spiritual  grandeur  fill  our  hearts,  we  have  the  right 
to  believe  that  these  come  from  God  ;  and  the  word 
of  God  assures  us  that  they  do  so  come,  for  it  tells 
us  that  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  peace,  and  love,  and 
joy,  with  other  graces.  But  there  is  more  than  this. 
He  gives  us  his  Spirit,  that  we  may  know  the  things 
freely  given  us  of  God.  It  is  said,  in  the  story  of 
creation,  that  when  the  earth  was  without  form,  and 
void,  the  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the 
waters,  and  the  first  great  act  in  that  movement  was 
the  creation  of  light  ;  so  when  the  Spirit  of  God 
moves  upon  the  darkness  and  emptiness  of  the  hu- 
man soul,  its  creative  fiat  is,  "  Let  there  be  light." 
As  the  blind  man,  whose  eyes  Jesus  opened,  gazed 
first  on  his  heavenly  countenance,  so  the  light  of 
grace  on  the  human  soul  leads  it  directly  to  God,  and 
the  first  utterance  is,  "  Abba,  Father."  As  the 
young  convert  has  the  assurances  drawn  by  his  own 
spirit  from  the  peace  and  love  within  him,  he  has,  also, 
that  heavenly  influence  which  seems  to  radiate  his 


Coiifirviatory  Indications.  5 1 

soul,  and  makes  him  feel  that  the  Spirit  of  God  bears 
witness  with  his  spirit  that  he  is  a  child  of  God.  So 
in  this  call  to  the  ministry,  there  is  not  only  the  im- 
pression of  duty  to  preach,  but,  as  it  is  accompanied 
by  intense  love  to  God,  and  intense  yearning  for  the 
salvation  of  men,  and  for  the  eradication  of  all  evil 
from  the  earth,  it  must  come  from  a  pure  and  spirit- 
ual source.  But,  over  and  above  all  that,  there  is 
such  a  sweet  tenderness,  so  much  of  heavenly  in- 
fluence, so  much  of  divine  light,  that  one  feels  as- 
sured that  it  is  of  God,  I  must  add,  however, 
that  no  impression  can  be  any  rule  of  conduct  be^ 
yond  what  is  directly  authorized  in  the  word  of 
God.  To  follow  impressions  beyond  that  is  simply 
fanaticism. 

Admitting,  however,  that  this  knowledge  is  not 
absolute,  but  merely  strongly  presumptive,  there  are 
other  indications  which  are  confirmative.  We  are 
commanded  to  "try  the  spirits,  whether  they  be  of 
God  ; "  and  we  have  tests  by  which  that  trial  can  be 
made.  The  first  is,  that  this  call  to  the  ministry 
comes  to  one  who  has  felt  the  breathing  of  the  Spirit  in 
his  regeneration.  He  recognizes  the  same  Spirit  now. 
Its  drawings  have  the  same  tenderness,  its  influ- 
ences have  the  same  love,  its  whisperings  have  the 
same  accent.  The  deeper  the  personal  consecration, 
the  nearer  the  soul  is  drawn  tov/ard  God,  the  more 
earnest  the  yearning  to  save  the  world,  the  persua- 
sion grows   stronger  ;   but  when  worldly  influences 


52  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

and  associations  prevail,  its  whispers  are  more 
faint. 

Again,  it  cannot  come  from  our  own  suggestions. 
We  are  fond  of  mirthfulness,  gayety,  amusement, 
wealth,  honor,  fame.  We  love  the  associations  and  ap- 
probation of  the  world.  The  pulpit  calls  us  away  from 
these.  Serious  duties,  anxious  cares,  constant  labor, 
and  comparative  poverty,  occupy  their  place.  Many 
of  the  wise  men  of  the  world,  whose  approval  we  love, 
say  preaching  is  "foolishness."  Not  one  of  the  im- 
mense throngs  that  rush  into  life's  earthly  joys  cares 
to  turn  his  thoughts  to  the  pulpit.  Nor  can  the  sug- 
gestion come  from  the  evil  one,  for  its  yearning  is  to 
overthrow  the  kingdom  of  darkness.  The  Saviour 
himself  refers  to  this  test  when  he  says  :  "  If  Satan 
cast  out  Satan,  he  is  divided  against  himself;  how, 
then,  shall  his  kingdom  stand  ?  But  if  I  cast  out 
devils  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  then  the  kingdom  of  God 
is  come  unto  you." 

Another  test,  is  the  fact  that  this  desire  is  usually 
in  direct  antagonism  to  natural  inclination  and  pre- 
vious purpose.  The  young  man  not  only  does  not 
desire  to  preach,  but  he  is  unwilling.  He  had  al- 
ready formed  plans  for  other  professions  or  business, 
his  heart  was  set  on  a  favorite  pursuit,  when  he  is  in- 
terfered with  by  this  call.  It  seems  to  take  from 
him  all  his  cherished  plans,  and  all  his  bright  visions 
of  fame  and  glory.  It  not  only  interferes  with  his 
own  plans,  but  oftentimes  with  those  of  his  parents 


Difficulties.  53 

and  friends.  They  are  so  deeply  grieved  that  even  a 
father  threatens  to  disinherit  or  to  disown  him.  Yet 
in  the  midst  of  all  these  difficulties,  the  persuasion 
grows  stronger  that  he  must  preach  the  Gospel.  It 
sometimes  becomes  so  intense  ihat  it  is  seldom  from 
his  mind.  In  the  hours  of  his  solitude,  and  in  his 
lonely  walks,  he  will  even  wring  his  hands,  and  say  : 
"Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel."  He  feels 
that  he  vmst  preach,  or  imperil  his  soul's  salvation. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  difficulties  will  frequently 
arise,  almost  in  the  form  of  angels  of  light.  The 
ministry  is  so  holy,  so  exalted,  and  he  is  so  imperfect 
and  has  so  many  infirmities,  he  must  not  defile  it. 
He  says  with  Isaiah  :  "  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips, 
and  I  dwell  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  unclean  lips." 
He  thinks  of  his  youthfulness  and  of  his  inexperience, 
and  says  with  Jeremiah :  "  Behold,  I  cannot  speak, 
for  I  am  a  child."  He  fears  that  he  shall  not  be  able 
to  speak  acceptably,  and  says  with  Moses :  "  I  am 
slow  of  speech,  and  of  a  slow  tongue."  Such  views 
naturally  deter  him  ;  but  the  remedy,  if  he  be  called 
to  preach,  lies  in  divine  grace  and  power.  If  it  be 
needed,  the  seraph  will  fly  with  a  live  coal  from  the 
altar  to  touch  his  lips,  and  to  purge  away  his  in- 
iquity ;  or  the  hand  of  the  Lord  shall  be  on  his 
mouth,  so  that  no  man  shall  despise  his  youth  ;  or 
God  will  give  him  friends  and  assistants  that  shall 
enable  him  to  stand  before  Pharaoh.  Sometimes, 
however,  the  difficulty  lies  in  his  relation  to  others. 


54  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

His  parents  are  old,  and  they  need,  as  he  fancies, 
their  son  at  home.  He  says:  "Suffer  me  first  to 
bury  my  father."  He  has  bought  a  yoke  of  oxen  ; 
he  has  entered  a  profession  ;  he  wishes  first  to  de- 
vote himself  to  the  acquisition  of  wealth  ;  or,  he  has 
married  a  wife,  and,  therefore,  he  cannot  come.  Yet 
whatever  may  be  the  difficulties,  and  whatever  may 
be  the  embarrassments,  they  are  all  known  to  him 
that  makes  the  call.  Jesus  says  :  "  Let  the  dead  bury 
their  dead.  Follow  thou  me!"  And  if  the  heart  be 
obedient,  the  way  will  be  opened,  parental  happiness 
shall  be  secured,  business  may  be  disposed  of,  and  the 
opposing  wife  may  be  converted. 

If  I  may  make  a  slight  digression,  however,  and 
whisper  a  word  confidentially,  I  would  say  ;  A  young 
man  who  sees  before  him  even  the  possibility  of  God's 
calling  him  to  the  ministry  would  do  well  not  to  mar- 
ry a  wife  until  he  has  fully  entered  upon  his  ministe- 
rial work.  Above  all,  as  a  student,  he  should  post- 
pone the  study  of  that  department  of  natural  science 
for  a  ])Ost-graduate  course.  To  Adam,  sole  occupant 
of  Eden  as  he  was,  God  brought  every  animal  to  be 
named — and  names  in  early  days  were  derived  from 
qualities — and  thus  as  a  bachelor  Adam  finished  his 
studies,  before  Eve,  the  beautiful  and  attractive,  was 
brought  to  his  side.  It  is  sad  to  say,  and  yet  an  ex- 
tended observation  warrants  me  in  saying,  that  many 
a  young  man  has  dwarfed  himself,  and  limited  his  use- 
fulness, by  a  too  early  and  hasty  marriage. 


Personal  Labor.  5  5 

If,  then,  a  young  man  feels  himself  called  to  the 
ministry  by  a  divine  persuasion,  what  shall  he  do  ? 
I  answer,  Let  him  read  and  prepare  himself  thorough- 
ly for  the  work  of  the  ministry.  Let  him  work  in 
his  sphere  for  his  Master's  cause.  If  he  be  a  student, 
let  him  seek  to  influence  his  unconverted  associates. 
If  he  beat  home,  let  him  lead  his  brothers  and  sisters, 
or  must  intimate  friends,  to  Christ.  If  he  find  a 
Nathanael  to  whom  his  soul  is  joined,  let  him,  like 
Philip,  tell  him  of  Jesus,  and  say,  "  Come  and  see." 
Let  him  not  fancy  that  he  will  one  day  have  great 
power  in  addressing  multitudes,  but  that  it  is  not  his 
work  to  labor  with  individuals.  This  fancy  of  some 
day  doing  great  things  is  a  fearful  illusion.  To  do 
great  things,  we  must  learn  to  do  little  things  well. 
No  man  is  fit  to  be  the  commanding  general  of  an 
army  who  has  not  himself  been  drilled  as  a  soldier. 
No  man  can  win  great  power  as  a  minister,  until  he 
has  first  met  a  brother's  objections,  solved  a  brother's 
difficulties,  learned  a  brother's  temptations,  and  wit- 
nessed how  the  word  of  God  has  delivered  a  brother's 
soul.  Congregations  are  made  up  of  individuals. 
Man  by  man,  heart  by  heart,  is  the  conquest  won  ; 
and  the  young  man  is  best  preparing  for  the  ministry 
who  learns  how  to  deal  with  individual  cases  of  sin 
and  sorrow,  of  guilt  and  despondence. 

Shall  he  tell  his  friends  that  he  is  called  to  the 
ministry  ">.  He  need  not.  Shall  he  apply  to  the 
Church  to  be  permitted  to  preach  }  shall  he  seek  to 


'56  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

get  into  some  pulpit  to  preach  on  some  public  occa- 
sion ?  By  no  means.  The  man  who  is  anxious  to 
go  is  never  sent.  If  he  has  so  little  conception  of 
the  responsibilities  of  the  ministerial  office,  or  so  little 
acquaintance  with  himself  that  he  fancies  himself 
equal  to  the  work,  it  is  a  sign  of  such  mental  or  moral 
disqualification  as  to  unfit  him  for  the  ministry.  The 
man  truly  called  has  no  need  to  publish  it.  So  long 
as  God  speaks  to  him  privately,  let  him  answer  pri- 
vately :  "  Here  am  I  ;  send  me." 

The  second  evidence  of  a  ministerial  call  is  the 
voice  of  the  Church.  God  has  established  corre- 
spondences throughout  nature.  There  is  the  eye  for 
sight,  and  the  light  and  visible  objects  to  correspond  ; 
there  is  the  ear  to  hear,  and  the  vibrating  body  and 
the  undulating  air.  So  the  great  Head  of  the  Church, 
who  calls  the  young  man  to  preach,  leads  the  Church 
to  recognize  that  call.  The  influence  which  he  puts 
in  the  heart  thrills  through  the  voice,  sparkles  from 
the  eye,  radiates  from  the  countenance,  and  signals 
itself  in  the  earnest  wrestlings  of  the  soul.  The 
young  man  may  fancy  the  matter  is  a  secret  with 
himself,  and  may  hope  that  it  shall  never  be  known  ; 
yet  as  he  walks  the  street  some  ministering  brother, 
or  some  aged  servant  of  God,  will  lay  an  affectionate 
hand  on  his  shoulder,  and  say :  "  Has  not  God 
given  you  a  greater  work  to  do  .'' "  Or  scarcely  has  the 
prayer-meeting  ended,  until  some  servant  of  God,  pos- 
sibly some  elect  old  lady,  will  say  to  him :  "  Has  not 


Call  of  the  CJmrch.  57 

God  called  you  to  preach?"  Sometimes  these  ques- 
tions come  so  suddenly,  so  unexpectedly,  so  unwel- 
comely,  that  the  soul  cries  out :  "  Hast  thou  found 
me,  O  my  enemy  ?  "  That  which  is  discovered  by 
one  soon  becomes  manifest  to  all,  and  the  Church,  in 
whatever  manner  it  may  operate,  opens  for  him  a 
door-way  leading  into  the  ministry. 

This  call  of  the  Church,  added  to  the  conscious 
call,  greatly  strengthens  the  conviction  of  duty. 
Many  scriptural  instances  show  us  the  beautiful  cor- 
respondence of  these  voices.  God  called  Bezaleel 
and  Aholiab  to  work  on  his  tabernacle,  and  filled 
them  with  the  spirit  of  wisdom  ;  but  they  were  not 
authorized  to  commence  the  work  until  God  informed 
Moses  that  he  had  called  them.  Joshua  was  called 
and  anointed  with  the  Holy  Spirit  to  lead  Israel,  but 
the  call  was  also  revealed  to  Moses,  and  he  laid  his 
hands  upon  him.  When  God's  voice  of  prophecy 
reached  Samuel  it  was  a  new  experience.  He 
thought  Eli  called  him  ;  and  the  second  and  the  third 
time  he  arose  and  ran.  Then  Eli  perceived  it  was 
the  Lord,  and  said  to  Samuel:  "Answer,  Speak, 
Lord  ;  for  thy  servant  heareth."  Through  Eli's  voice 
Samuel  learned  God's  call,  and  he  doubted  never 
after.  God  called  Saul,  and  he  sent  Samuel  to  anoint 
him  when  he  would  have  hidden  himself  among  the 
people.  He  called  David  from  the  sheep-cot,  but 
Samuel  poured  the  anointing  oil  upon  his  head.  The 
disciples  generally  were   called  audibly   by   Chris\ 


58  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

the  Head  of  the  Church  ;  but  Paul  received  his  mes- 
sage not  only  from  the  lips  of  Jesus,  but  through 
Ananias  as  well.  Timothy  received  a  gift  from  God, 
but  his  call  was  partly  through  the  laying  on  of  the 
hands  of  Paul  and  of  the  presbytery.  There  is  not,  I 
believe,  an  instance  in  the  Holy  Writ  where  a  true 
man  was  at  first  ever  anxious  to  bear  a  divine  mes- 
sage. He  always  shrunk,  hesitated,  plead  off,  and 
trembled.  Thus  did  Moses;  so  did  the  prophets. 
Jonah  fled,  and  would  not  go  to  Nineveh  until  after 
he  had  been  well  whaled.  So  I  have  known  young 
men  leave  their  neighborhoods,  their  local  Churches, 
their  associations  in  the  East,  I  have  found  them 
wandering  on  the  Pacific  slope.  But  scarcely  had 
they  reached  their  destination,  and  engaged  in  social 
prayer,  until  some  friendly  voice  said:  "Are  you  not 
a  preacher  V  or  "  Has  not  God  called  you  .? " 

When  the  Church  recognizes  the  young  man  he 
should  openly  and  publicly  prepare  himself  for  the 
work,  and,  according  to  his  opportunities,  let  him  se- 
cure the  utmost  qualifications  which  he  can  acquire. 
Sometimes  a  strange  intermingling  of  benevolence 
and  self-esteem  urges  the  young  man  onward,  and  he 
fancies  the  world  will  go  down  to  ruin  unless  he 
springs  at  once  to  the  rescue.  My  advice  to  such 
young  men  is,  Get  thoroughly  ready.  If  you  were 
going  into  the  forest  to  fell  trees,  you  would  need  a 
sharp  instrument  to  do  a  good  day's  work.  Be  not 
in  such  a  hurry  to  begin  as  to  think  the  time  thrown 


Preparation.  59 

away  which  is  spent  in  grinding  the  ax.  Is  it  not 
somewhat  remarkable  that  Jesus  never  preached  a 
sermon  until  he  was  thirty  years  of  age  ?  and  yet  the 
world  was  going  to  ruin  !  You  reply :  "  Yes,  but 
that  was  the  age  when  the  Jewish  priest  entered  on 
his  office,  and  Christ  conformed  himself  to  Jewish 
thought  and  practice."  That  is  true  ;  yet  it  is  no 
Jess  true  that  the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  for  some 
wise  purpose,  ordained  that  the  priest  should  not 
officiate  until  he  was  thirty  years  of  age,  I  do  not 
say  that  all  should  wait  so  long.  Early  and  superior 
opportunities,  unusual  maturity  of  judgment,  and  the 
pressing  needs  of  the  Church,  may  indicate  the  duty 
of  entering  much  earlier.  No  precise  rule  as  to  age, 
or  as  to  extent  of  qualifications,  is  laid  down  in 
Scripture.  The  individual  and  the  Church  must  de- 
cide in  every  case.  In  different  Churches,  and  in 
different  ages  in  the  same  Church,  the  standard  has 
varied.  The  early  Scottish  ministers  had  but  a  lim- 
ited training.  Dr.  South  satirizes  severely  the  Puri- 
tan preachers  of  his  age,  who,  shut  out  of  the  univer- 
sities, had  few  opportunities.  The  early  Methodists 
felt  obliged,  on  account  of  the  urgent  needs  of  their 
work,  to  thrust  out  young  men  with  but  little  prepara- 
tion. I  believe  the  great  West,  with  its  rapid  streams 
of  immigration,  had  it  been  compelled  to  wait  for 
trained  ministers  from  the  Eastern  colleges  and  the- 
ological schools,  would  have  been  a  hot-bed  of  iniq- 
uity, and  a  seething  mass  of  corruption.     But  times 


6o  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

have  changed.  Congregations  have  been  gathered  ; 
churches  have  been  built  ;  more  ministers  are  knock- 
ing than  can  find  room.  God  seems  to  say  to  the 
candidate.  "Prepare  to  the  utmost;"  and  to  the 
Churches,  "  Put  only  picked  men  on  guard." 

There  is  a  third  evidence  of  a  ministerial  call.  A 
man's  own  consciousness  may  be  deceived  ;  even 
the  Church,  composed  of  fallible  men,  may  err.  An 
infallible  criterion  is  needed.  When  the  Church  has 
opened  the  way  let  the  young  minister  go  forward. 
As  he  speaks,  exhorts,  preaches,  prays,  visits  the 
sick,  and  follows  the  outcast,  he  will  find  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  accompanies  his  labors.  His  heart 
will  be  softened  into  tenderness  and  gratitude  when 
he  finds  that  God  speaks  through  his  lips  ;  the  tears 
start  from  the  eyes  of  his  audience,  their  heads  are 
bowed,  their  hearts  affected,  and  their  natures  are 
changed.  Under  his  preaching,  as  under  the  apostles 
of  old,  God  gives  to  the  people  repentance  and  re- 
mission of  sins.  The  souls  thus  saved  are  not  only 
the  trophies  of  divine  grace,  but  they  are  also  the 
seals  of  his  ministry ;  they  are  epistles,  read  and 
known  of  all  men  ;  they  are  God's  own  attestation  of 
a  call  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  his  own  signa- 
ture to  his  ministerial  diploma.  Where  these  three 
proofs  combine — the  voice  of  consciousness,  the  voice 
of  the  Church,  and  the  attestation  of  God — no  man 
need  doubt.  In  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses 
shall  every  word  be  established. 


Personal  Experience.  ■  6 1 

Let  me  illustrate  one  form  of  this  call  by  my  own 
experience,  for  occasional  glimpses  of  that,  I  believe, 
you  desire.  Trained  religiously,  I  had  come  to  a 
young  man's  years  before  making  a  public  pro- 
fession of  religion.  Occasionally,  prior  to  my  con- 
version, thoughts  of  the  ministry  sometimes  flashed 
across  my  mind  ;  but  it  was  only  a  flash.  After  my 
conversion  I  was  earnest  for  the  welfare  of  others, 
and  worked  in  various  ways  to  promote  the  interests 
of  the  Church  and  humanity.  The  conviction  grew 
upon  me  that  I  must  preach.  I  tried  to  put  the 
thought  away,  because  I  feared  I  could  never  suc- 
ceed. I  saw  the  greatness  of  the  work,  and  the  re- 
proach and  poverty,  the  privation  and  suffering,  con- 
nected with  the  itinerant  ."ninistry.  Two  especial 
difficulties  were  in  my  way  :  First,  I  had  no  gift  of 
speech.  All  through  my  studies  my  fellow-students 
told  me  I  could  learn,  but  I  could  never  be  a  speaker. 
In  discussing  professions  they  thought  the  law  was 
out  of  the  question  for  me,  because  I  could  never 
successfully  plead  a  cause.  My  voice  was  poor.  I 
had  always  shunned  declamation  whenever  it  was 
possible  to  avoid  it.  I  had  an  unconquerable  aver- 
sion to  reciting  other  men's  words  ;  and  whenever  I 
attempted  to  declaim  it  was  pronounced  a  failure. 
My  associates  believed,  and  I  firmly  believed,  I  could 
never  make  a  speaker.  So  when  I  felt  the  convic- 
tion that  I  must  preach  the  thought  of  the  impossi- 
bility of  preaching  successfully  made  me  question  the 


62  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

reality  of  the  call.  At  my  work  and  in  my  studies 
— for  I  spent  three  years  in  preparing  for  the  pro- 
fession of  medicine — I  was  frequently  in  mental 
agony.  I  think  I  should  have  resolutely  rejected  the 
idea,  only  that  it  seemed  indissolubly  connected  with 
my  own  salvation.  I  longed  for  some  one  who  could 
tell  me  my  duty.  I  fasted  and  prayed  for  divine  di- 
rection, but  I  found  no  rest  until  reading  in  the 
Bible  a  passage  seemed  written  especially  for  me : 
"  Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  thine  heart  ;  and  lean 
not  unto  thine  own  understanding.  In  all  thy  ways 
acknowledge  him,  and  he  shall  direct  thy  paths."  I 
accepted  it,  and  resolved  to  do  whatever  God  by  his 
providence  should  indicate  by  opening  the  way.  I 
never  lisped  to  a  friend  the  slightest  intimation  of 
my  mental  agony,  but  began  to  take  a  more  earnest 
part  in  Church  services.  One  Sabbath  I  felt  a  strong 
impression  that  I  ought  to  speak  to  the  people  at 
night  in  prayer-meeting,  as  we  had  no  preaching. 
But  I  said  to  myself:  How  shall  1?  my  friends  will 
think  me  fooHsh,  for  they  know  I  cannot  speak  with 
interest.  Especially  I  dreaded  the  opinion  of  an 
uncle,  who  had  been  to  me  as  a  father,  and  who  had 
superintended  my  education.  While  I  was  discuss- 
ing this  matter  with  myself  my  uncle  cam.e  into  the 
room,  and,  after  a  moment's  hesitancy,  said  to  me : 
"  Don't  you  think  you  could  speak  to  the  people  to- 
night .'* "  I  was  surprised  and  startled,  and  asked 
him  if  he  thought  I  ought  to.      He  said :  "  Yes  ;  I 


Personal  Experience.  63 

think  you  might  do  good."  That  night,  by  some 
strange  coincidence,  the  house  was  crowded,  and  I 
made  my  first  religious  address  to  a  pubhc  congre- 
gation. It  was  not  written  ;  it  was  not  very  well 
premeditated  ;  it  was  the  simple  and  earnest  out- 
gushing  of  a  sincere  and  honest  heart.  I  was  soon 
pressed  to  preach,  but  evaded  all  conversation  on 
the  subject  as  far  as  possible. 

My  second  difficulty  was  that  my  mother  was  a 
widow  ;  I  was  her  only  son,  and  the  only  child  re- 
maining at  home.  It  seemed  impossible  to  leave 
her.  I  feared  it  might  almost  break  her  heart  to 
propose  it.  But  as  I  saw  the  Church  would  proba- 
bly call  me,  and  as  I  had  promised  God  to  follow  his 
openings,  I  one  day,  with  great  embarrassment,  in- 
troduced the  subject  to  my  mother.  After  I  had  told 
her  my  mental  struggles,  and  what  I  believed  God 
required,  I  paused.  I  shall  never  forget  how  she 
turned  to  me  with  a  smile  on  her  countenance,  and 
her  eyes  suffused  with  tears,  as  she  said  :  '•  My  son, 
I  have  been  looking  for  this  hour  ever  since  you  were 
born."  She  then  told  me  how  she  and  my  dying  fa- 
ther, who  left  me  an  infant,  consecrated  me  to  God, 
and  prayed  that  if  it  were  his  will  I  might  become  a 
minister.  And  yet  that- mother  had  never  dropped  a 
word  or  intimation  in  my  hearing  that  she  ever  de- 
sired me  to  be  a  preacher.  She  believed  so  fully  in 
a  divine  call,  that  she  thought  it  wrong  to  bias  the 
youthful  mind  with  even  a  suggestion,  so  much  as 


64  Lectures  on  Preaching, 

uttered  in  vocal  prayer.  That  conversation  settled 
my  mind.  What  a  blessing  is  a  sainted  mother  !  I 
can  even  now  feel  her  hand  upon  my  head,  and  I  can 
hear  the  intonations  of  her  voice  in  prayer.  I  was 
requested  shortly  after  to  preach  a  trial  sermon,  but 
refused.  The  authorities  of  the  Church  said  if  I  did 
not  preach  a  trial  sermon  they  could  not  tell  whether 
I  was  qualified.  I  replied  there  was  no  order  in  the 
Discipline  of  our  Church  directing,  or  even  permit- 
ting, such  a  sermon  ;  that  I  did  not  desire  a  license 
to  preach  ;  but  had  only  promised  God  to  obey  the 
order  of  the  Church,  should  it  license  me  ;  and  that 
I  never  should  try  to  preach  until  I  was  so  authorized. 
So  I  was  licensed,  not  without  grave  deliberation  and 
discussion,  both  as  to  whether  I  would  ever  make  a 
preacher,  or  whether  my  health  afforded  any  reason- 
able indication  that  I  would  ever  be  of  service  to  the 
Church.  I  entered  the  pulpit  immediately.  Through 
divine  mercy  some  souls  were  awakened  and  convert- 
ed ;  and,  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  have  continued  to 
this  day. 

You  perceive,  young  gentlemen,  that  I  believe  in 
the  divine  election  of  ministers.  So  far,  you  may 
count  me  a  Calvinist.  I  believe,  further,  a  man  so 
elected  should  never  turn  aside  to  other  employments 
while  health  continues,  and  while  he  has  the  appro- 
bation of  the  Church.  Should  health  and  strength 
give  way,  he  may  turn  to  other  duties.  Should  he 
find  he  was  mistaken  as  to  his  call,  should  the  Church 


Ministerial  Perseverance.  65 

find  it  was  in  error,  and  his  services  are  not  needed, 
he  may  be  released.  Better  dig  coal  in  the  mines,  or 
break  stones  on  the  road,  than  to  stand  in  the  pulpit 
uncalled  of  God  and  unapproved  by  the  Church. 
But  if  approved,  and  if  blessed  in  your  labors,  never 
turn  aside.  Let  no  dangers  deter ;  let  no  tempta- 
tions of  wealth  or  honor,  of  office  or  fame,  allure  you 
from  the  ministry.  I  have  known  men  so  called  to 
turn  aside.  But,  in  a  long  observation,  I  never  knew 
one  who  turned  aside  for  wealth,  but  who  either  be- 
came bankrupt,  or  made  shipwreck  of  faith,  before  he 
died  ;  or  one  who  turned  aside  for  office  or  ease,  with- 
out going  down  under  a  cloud.  You  may  be  pressed, 
poverty  may  stare  you  in  the  face,  but  stand  as  "  the 
beaten  anvil  to  the  stroke."  Do  your  duty,  and,  verily, 
you  shall  be  fed.  God  will  care  for  you  as  long  as  a 
raven  has  wings,  or  a  widow  in  the  land  has  a  "hand- 
ful of  meal  in  a  barrel."  Think  of  the  early  Chris- 
tians, of  the  noble  line  of  martyrs,  and  your  sufferings 
will  sink  into  insignificance.  Look  at  the  great 
Apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  See  him  persecuted,  ar- 
rested, imprisoned.  See  his  back  bared  to  the  lash. 
Five  times  he  received  forty  stripes,  save  one.  I  see 
him  gathering  his  garments  around  his  lacerated 
shoulders  when  he  whispers,  "  None  of  these  things 
move  me."  He  is  taken  to  the  edge  of  yonder  city, 
stoned,  and  left  for  dead.  See  him  as  friends  gently 
raise  him  up  and   say,  "  Better  abandon  the  Gospel  ; 

they  will  kill  you  if  you  preach."     Yet,  as  soon  as 
.5 


66  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

breath  returns,  he  utters,  "  None  of  these  things 
move  me."  I  see  hun  yonder,  drawn  out  of  the  wa- 
ter ;  he  has  been  a  day  and  night  struggling  in  the 
deep  ;  nature  is  overcome  ;  he  hes  fainting  on  the 
beach,  the  water  dripping  from  his  hair  ;  his  friends 
say,  "  Surely  he  will  never  preach  again  ;"  but  as  the 
pulse  beats  once  more,  and  strength  returns,  again  I 
hear  him  say,  "  None  of  these  things  move  me."  He 
is  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem  ;  the  prophets  tell  him  he 
is  to  be  bound  and  imprisoned  ;  the  people  weep  at 
the  thought  of  seeing  him  no  more  ;  the  elders  of 
Ephesus  come  down  to  Miletus  to  meet  him  ;  he  tells 
them  he  is  going  to  Jerusalem,  that  he  knows  not 
what  shall  befall  him  there,  save  that  the  Spirit  tells 
him  in  every  place  that  bonds  and  imprisonment  await 
him  ;  but  he  grandly  declares  :  "  None  of  these  things 
move  me,  neiiher  count  I  my  life  dear  unto  myself, 
so  that  I  might  finish  my  course  with  joy,  and  the 
ministry  which  I  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to 
testify  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God."  Bonds  and 
imprisonment  did  await  him.  He  stood  before  Nero. 
He  was  condemned  to  die ;  and  out  of  the  dungeon 
of  his  prison  he  sends,  through  Timothy,  the  herotc 
^ud  joyous  message  :  "  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I 
have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith." 
Such  a  grand  hero  was  the  apostle,  living  and  dying. 
One  work  he  did,  unmoved  and  immovable.  And 
to  us  he  speaks  :  "  Follow  me,  as  I  have  followed 
Christ." 


Ministerial  Teaching.  67 


LECTURE    III. 

THE   PREACHER    PERSONALLY. 

'^'TT^AKE  heed  unto  thyself,"  was  the  injunction 
-■-  of  St.  Paul  to  his  beloved  disciple,  Timothy. 
If  he  needed  such  admonition,  educated,  trained, 
and  in  the  active  ministry,  so  do  we.  The  work 
rises  before  us.  in  grandeur  ;  the  voice  of  God  calls 
us  ;  but  much  depends  on  our  devotion  to  the  work. 
The  minister  is  unlike  other  teachers.  They  sim- 
ply teach  art  or  science,  without  reference  to  moral 
character.  The  printer  may  be  an  excellent  me- 
chanic, may  teach  his  art  thoroughly,  and  yet  be  a 
very  bad  man.  The  college  professor  may  teach 
clearly  the  highest  problems  in  calculus,  and  yet  may 
be  grossly  immoral.  But  the  minister  is  blended 
with  the  truth  which  he  teaches.  He  may  explain 
the  doctrines  of  the  Bible  intellectually,  but  he  can- 
not preach  properly  without  a  personal  realization  of 
the  truth.  I  congratulate  you,  young  gentlemen,  on 
your  devotion  to  this  high  and  holy  calling.  I  have 
spoken  strongly  and  solemnly  of  the  responsibility 
of  the  office,  and  of  the  divine  call,  that  you  might 
rest  on  secure  foundations.  Having  done  that,  I 
rejoice  that  God  has  counted  you  worthy,  putting 


68  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

you  into  the  ministry.  Your  work  associates  you 
with  the  purest  and  best  minds  of  earth  ;  with 
the  men  who  have  done,  and  are  now  doing,  the 
greatest  work  in  the  purification  and  elevation  of 
society. 

For  your  greatest  usefidness  in  it  you  need  decis- 
ion of  character.  You  should  feel  that  the  whole 
course  of  your  life  is  settled ;  that  you  have  been 
taken  out  of  the  mass  of  men  for  one  special  duty. 
All  your  powers  of  body  and  spirit,  your  head,  hands, 
and  heart,  should  be  consecrated  to  this  one  work. 
Your  language  should  be,  "This  one  thing  I  do." 
Where  there  is  singleness  of  purpose  there  is  usually 
great  success.  "  If  thine  eye  be  single,  thy  whole 
body  shall  be  full  of  light."  Mr.  Wesley  once  said 
of  a  young  minister  of  only  average  talents  and  cult- 
ure :  "  Other  men  may  do  good  ;  this  man  must  do 
good,  for  he  thinks  of  nothing  else."  You  will  make 
but  little  progress  if  you  look  at  the  ministry  as  a 
stepping-stone  to  any  thing  else,  or  as  a  work  in 
which  you  can  spend  part  of  your  time  and  have  a 
large  margin  for  other  duties.  In  his  early  ministry, 
before  he  had  received  the  holy  baptism,  Dr.  Chal- 
mers wrote  in  reference  to  a  chair  of  mathematics, 
that  a  minister  could  discharge  all  his  duties  on  his 
charge,  and  have  five  days  in  the  week  for  other  pur- 
suits. When  he  felt  the  greatness  of  the  work,  and 
his  soul  had  fully  entered  into  it,  he  publicly  retracted 
his  declaration,  saying  he  had  neglected  to  estimate 


Avoid  Imitation.  69 

two  magnitudes,  "the  littleness  of  time"  and  "the 
greatness  of  eternity."  Do  not  think  of  being  a 
preacher  and  something  else.  The  powers  of  an  arch- 
angel are  too  feeble  for  the  conversion  of  the  world. 
You  should  have  a  holy  ambition  to  produce  for  the' 
Master  the  greatest  possible  results  ;  not  merely  for 
to-day,  but  for  the  entire  period  of  your  ministerial 
career. 

The  young  minister  is  frequently  perplexed  to 
know  what  model  he  shall  set  before  him.  He  ad- 
mires some  of  his  professors,  or  some  leading  men  in 
the  pulpit  to  whom  he  has  listened,  and  in  whose 
footsteps  he  desires  to  tread.  To  him  they  are 
heroes,  and,  unconsciously,  he  has  an  element  of 
hero  worship.  But  the  selection  of  any  model  is  a 
dangerous  matter.  No  man  is  perfect,  and  we  arc 
much  more  likely  to  imitate  defects  than  excellencies. 
We  do  well  to  follow  glorious  examples  of  holy  living 
and  of  earnest  devotion  to  the  ministry  ;  but  imita- 
tion of  manner,  whether  personal  or  professional,  is 
decidedly  injurious.  God  has  not  made  two  spears  of 
grass  precisely  alike,  much  less  two  human  beings. 
He  has  impressed  individuality  on  our  minds,  as 
well  as  on  our  features.  It  is  not  his  law  to  dupli- 
cate copies.  Illustrious  as  your  models  may  be,  God 
does  not  desire  exact  copies.  His  wisdom  is  shown 
in  using  a  vast  variety  of  instruments,  and  in  blend- 
ing a  vast  variety  of  persons  into  the  image  of  the 
one  great  Saviour.      Avoid,  then,  all  the  desire  for 


70  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

imitation.      Be  yourselves.      Consecrate  yourselves, 
not  imitations  of  others,  to  the  service  of  Christ. 

Your  great  aim  should  be  to  place  before  you  the 
only  true  model,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  I  suppose 
that  you,  as  well  as  myself,  have  often  wished  for  a 
description  of  Christ's  person  and  of  his  appearance. 
Is  it  not  remarkable  that  among  the  four  evangelists 
there  is  not  a  single  allusion  to  his  height,  or  size,  or 
temperament ;  to  the  color  of  his  eyes  or  hair,  the 
form  of  his  features,  or  the  intonation  of  his  voice .'' 
Had  there  been  such  a  record,  what  feelings  of  ex- 
ultation would  those  have  enjoyed  who  most  resem- 
bled him  ;  and  what  fears  would  have  perplexed 
those  unlike  him  as  to  their  acceptance  by  him,  and 
their  power  of  doing  good  .-•  Nor  have  we  any  de- 
scription of  the  apostles,  with  the  exception  possibly 
of  an  allusion  to  St.  Paul.  We  have  their  mental 
characteristics  and  their  moral  features  ;  but  not  one 
hint  as  to  their  differences  of  countenance,  tempera- 
ment, strength,  or  voice.  All  this,  as  I  understand 
it,  is  that  we  may  copy  no  man.  Our  likeness  to 
Christ  should  be  mental  and  moral,  and  our  imitation 
of  him  should  be  in  always  doing  good.  Is  it  not,  also, 
a  little  singular  that  not  one  word  is  said  about  the 
particular  dress  of  the  disciples  ;  or  that  not  a  direc- 
tion should  be  given  as  to  what  color  they  should 
wear  ;  or  what  the  shape  of  their  coats  or  cloaks 
should  be  .-*  It  is  not  even  intimated  that  Peter's 
dress  was  different  from  that  of  the  other  disciples. 


Imitate  Christ.  yi 

And  is  it  not  still  more  remarkable  that,  when  Jesus 
sent  out  the  disciples,  he  charged  them  not  to  pro- 
vide "  two  coats,"  or,  as  Mark  has  it,  they  should  "  not 
put  on  two  coats  ?  "  Is  it  not  strange  that  they  were 
not  allowed  to  have  one  coat  for  traveling  and  for 
common  wear,  and  another  for  the  pulpit  ?  Does  it 
not  seem  as  though  they  were  to  be  perfectly  like 
other  men — to  preach  in  the  same  garb  in  which  they 
traveled,  and  to  show  themselves  to  be  brothers  of  a 
common  humanity?  How  much  like  the  present 
successors  of  the  apostles  they  must  have  been  ! 
Dismissing,  then,  from  your  thoughts  all  imitation  of 
human  models,  take  as  your  spiritual  exemplar  only 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  and  the  apostles  only  so  far 
as  they  were  inspired,  and  as  they  perfectly  followed 
him. 

Your  first  duty,  then,  is  to  get  such  a  conception 
of  Christ,  in  all  his  glorious  offices,  as  will  enable  you 
to  present  him  vividly  before  the  people.  You  must 
study  the  record  of  every  utterance  which  he  made, 
and  every  act  which  he  performed.  You  must  enter 
into  the  spirit  of  his  compassion,  his  condescension, 
his  diligence,  and  his  love.  To  do  this  fully  you  will 
need  the  light  of  prophecy  concentrated  upon  him, 
and  a  view  of  the  circumstances  of  the  people  among 
whom  he  dwelt.  You  must  study  not  only  the  his- 
tory of  Christ,  the  lessons  taught,  and  the  works  per- 
formed ;  but  you  must  study  him  personally,  until  you 
have  taken  into  yourselves  the  impress  of  his  char- 


t 


72  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

acter,  the  stamp  of  his  own  image.  You  must  then 
translate  all  these  into  the  circumstances  of  to-day. 
In  your  associations  you  will  think,  What  would 
Christ  have  said  ?  What  would  have  been  his  spirit  ? 
Amid  opposition  you  encounter,  how  would  Christ 
have  borne  it .''  Amid  work  to  be  done,  how  would 
Christ  have  performed  it  .'*  and  so,  in  all  your  interming- 
ling in  society,  you  are  to  manifest  the  spirit  of  Christ. 
To  manifest  it  successfully,  you  must  have  it ;  you 
must  realize  the  full  meaning  of  those  words,  "  Christ 
in  you,  the  hope  of  glory."  With  this  image  of 
Christ  in  your  mind  and  his  Spirit  in  your  heart,  you 
will  survey  the  work  to  be  accomplished,  bearing  in 
mind  that  neither  argument  nor  oratory  of  your  own 
can  save  the  people  ;  and  yet  that  the  best  powers  of 
these  which  you  can  possibly  gain  may  be  wielded  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  for  the  salvation  of  men.  Your  one 
woik  must  be  to  hold  up  Christ  before  the  people,  and 
so  present  him  as  you  see  him  and  realize  his  power, 
that  the  people  shall  see  him  through  your  life  as 
well  as  through  your  representation.  People  judge 
not  so  much  of  truth  in  its  abstract  as  in  its  embodied 
form.  J  You  may  speak  of  the  meekness  and  love  of 
Christ,  but  you  stand  in  Christ's  stead  before  their 
eyes.  They  look  for  that  meekness  and  love  in  you, 
and  you  dishonor  your  Master  when  you  exhibit  a 
spirit  which  differs  from  his.  You  must  realize  with 
the  apostle,  "  For  me  to  live  is  Christ."  Your  life 
must  be  hid  in  him,  so  that  you  shall,  indeed^  be  "as 


Daily  Reading.  73 

Christ"  to  the  people.     Thus  "lifted  up,"  he  draws 
•'all  men  unto  him." 

Paul  said  to  Timothy,  "  Let  no  man  despise  thy 
youth ;  but  be  thou  an  example  of  the  believers,  in 
word,  in  conversation,  in  charity,  in  spirit,  in  faith, 
in  purity."  You  stand  before  your  congregations  to 
show  them  how  a  Christian  should  live,  how  he  should 
converse,  how  he  should  mingle  in  society,  how 
gentle,  patient,  and  loving  he  should  be.  If  the  fu- 
gleman, who  stands  before  the  undrilled  soldiers  to 
show  them  by  his  example  what  the  word  of  com- 
mand means,  commits  an  error,  his  example  is  copied 
and  the  drill  is  imperfect.  So  are  you  to  stand  as 
fuglemen  before  your  Churches.  If  your  spirit  is 
wrong,  theirs  will  be,  also. 


I  That  you  may  gain  this  high  condition,  daily  read- 
ing of  the  holy  Scriptures  is  essential.  The  soul 
needs  them  more  than  the  body  needs  food.  Jesus 
says:  "The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are 
spirit  and  they  are  life."  Your  object  in  thus  read- 
ing should  be  not  to  gain  matter  for  sermons,  nor  for 
the  proof  of  favorite  doctrines,  nor  for  purposes  of 
controversy,  but  to  sustain   your  spiritual  strength. 

\  You  should  discipline  yourselves  to  read  personally, 
not  professionally.  In  his  reading,  the  young  minis- 
ter is  too  liable  to  apply  passages  to  those  around 
him,  and  thus  he  fails  to  realize  spiritual  profit  to 
himself.  He  is  like  the  maiden  lady,  described  by  the 
humorist,  that  always  cast  glances  on   those  around 


M~ 


74  Lfxtures  on  Preaching. 

her  when  she  joined  in  the  response:  "Have  mercy 
upon  us  miserable  sinners." 

So,  also,  it  is  essential  to  be  a  man  of  prayer.  While 
the  minister  prays  for  his  people,  he  must  pray  espe- 
cially for  himself.  He  must,  indeed,  bear  upon  his 
bosom,  as  did  the  old  high-priest,  the  names  or  re- 
membrance of  his  people.  But,  first  of  all,  he  must 
bring  his  own  sacrifice  to  the  altar.  Successful  min- 
isters have  always  been  men  of  prayer.  You  have 
read  how  Livingston  and  Calamy  spent  whole  nights 
in  prayer  before  their  wonderful  sermons.  So,  also, 
did  Fletcher  of  Madeley.  In  this  they  copied  the 
great  Master.  See  Luther  wrestling  on  the  floor  all 
night  in  agony  of  prayer  at  the  Diet  of  Worms,  and 
you  will  not  be  surprised  at  his  triumphant  answer 
next  day,  nor  at  his'  subsequent  declaration  :  "Bene 
oi'asse  est  bene  studiiisse!^ 

Another  element  of  success  is  faith,  personal  faith 
in  the  atoning  merits  of  Christ — our  only  sacrifice 
and  our  only  mediator.  Through  it  we  enjoy  the 
consciousness  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  the 
assurance  of  our  acceptance  with  God.  ■  We  also 
need  that  faith  which  accepts  the  Bible  as  God's 
word ;  that  believes  implicitly  all  his  precepts  and 
all  his  promises  ;  that  feels  perfectly  satisfied  that 
God's  word  will  have  its  corresponding  fruit,  and 
that  Christ's  presence  every-where,  and  at  all  times, 
accompanies  his  minister,  so  that  in  the  pulpit, 
at   the  bedside  of   the  sick,  and   in   all    his  duties, 


Care  of  Health.  75 

he   will    have   the   assurance   of   an    accompanying 
Saviour. 

In  ministerial  deportment  the  utmost  care  must 
be  used.  Conversation  should  be  genial  and  pleas- 
ant, and  at  the  same  time  pure  and  instructive. 
Neatness  should  be  cultivated  without  affectation, 
and  cheerfulness  without  levity.  We  must  beware  of 
thinking  ourselves  better  than  others  because  we 
have  different  work  to  do,  or  of  in  any  way  separating 
ourselves  from  the  society  around  us.  We  are  God's 
embassadors,  and  yet  servants.  Christ  identified 
himself  with  the  common  people.  They  "  heard  him 
gladly,"  and  felt  that  he  sympathized  with  their  sor- 
rows. Even  the  poor  outcasts  approached  him,  trem- 
blingly and  yet  with  hope.  In  the  pulpit  and  every- 
where we  must  manifest' the  spirit  of  the  blessed 
Master,  and  be  ready  to  extend  a  helping  hand  to 
the  distressed. 

(  To  accomplish  the  most  for  humanity  you  must 
carefully  guard  your  health  and  strength.  No  defi- 
nite rules  can  be    given  to  suit   all  circumstances. 

/  You  must  carefully  watch  the  effect  of  your  food,  and 
eat  chiefly  what  is  plain  and  simple.  You  will  have 
kind  friends  who  will  invite  you  to  their  hospitable 
homes  and  to  their  bountiful  tables  ;  they  will  urge 
you  to  partake  freely,  but  let  them  not  "  kill  you  with 
kindness."  Remember  that  the  wise  man  says  : 
"  When  thou  sittest  to  eat  with  a  ruler,  consider  dili- 
gently what  is  before  thee :  and  put  a  knife  to  thy 


76  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

throat,  if  thou  be  a  man  given  to  appetite.  Be  not  de- 
sirous of  his  dainties:  for  they  are  deceitful  meat."  In 
addition  to  simple  diet,  let  me  caution  you  against 
late  suppers.  Mr.  Wesley  believed  they  produced 
nervous  diseases,  and  earnestly  cautioned  his  young 
preachers  against  both  meat  suppers  and  late  suppers. 
My  own  observations  have  led  me  to  the  same  opin- 
ion. Early  in  my  ministry  it  was  the  common  prac- 
tice for  those  who  preached  at  night  to  eat  very  little 
supper,  frequently  none  at  all,  before  preaching,  and 
to  eat  a  regular  supper,  or  partake  of  refreshments, 
at  nine  or  ten  o'clock  at  night.  I  adopted  a  different 
course  ;  ate  at  the  regular  hour,  though  sparingly, 
before  preaching,  and  resolutely  refused  all  food,  ex- 
cept sometimes  a  cracker,  after  preaching.  Nearly 
all  of  those  who  indulged  suffered  in  the  end,  while 
my  health  improved.  As  there  is  no  one  law,  how- 
ever, which  will  suit  all  constitutions  and  all  temper- 
aments, each  must  be  a  law  to  himself.  If  his  meals 
make  him  heavy  and  unfit  for  study,  let  him  guard 
against  a  repetition  ;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  he  has 
a  feeling  of  buoyancy,  and  can  study  clearly  and 
profitably,  he  has  partaken  well. 

As  in  food,  so  in  sleep.  The  same  law  will  not 
suit  all  persons.  As  a  rule,  from  six  to  eight  hours 
are  sufficient.  Some  are  able  to  do  with  much  less. 
John  Owen,  in  his  university  life,  slept  but  four  hours, 
and  Lord  Brougham  about  the  same.  Napoleon  al- 
lowed himself  five  hours ;  Mr.  Wesley,  about  six,  or 


Hours  cf  Sleep.  77 

from  six  to  seven.  Each  must  determine  for  himself, 
guarding  against  unnecessary  waste  of  time.  When 
a  student,  I  required  seven  hours.  My  custom  was 
to  retire  at  nine  and  rise  at  four.  But  every  few  days 
I  found  myself  oversleeping  my  time  some  five  or  ten 
minutes,  or  more.  I  became  fully  satisfied  that  I  re- 
quired full  seven  hours,  and  that  whatever  moments 
I  lost  before  I  dropped  asleep,  or  if  I  chanced  to 
awake  in  the  night,  must  in  some  way  be  made  up. 
I  had  a  fellow-student  older  than  myself  preparing  for 
the  ministry  among  the  Covenanters,  who  scarcely 
ever  retired  before  eleven,  and  was  at  his  studies  again 
between  two  and  three  in  the  morning.  He  was  dili- 
gent and  faithful ;  but  it  seemed  to  me  that  he  never 
got  wide-awake  all  day.  The  hours  of  rising  will  also 
vary.  I  was  brought  up  in  the  old-fashioned  way  of 
rising  early  ;  but  that,  like  many  other  old  fashions, 
is  at  present  considered  by  many  as  a  relic  of  antiq- 
uity, if  not  of  barbarism.  I  may  be  influenced  by 
early  associations,  but  my  conviction  is  that  the  morn- 
ing is  the  favorable  time  for  study.  An  old  proverb 
reads  :  "  The  morning  hour  has  gold  in  its  mouth." 
Protracted  study  at  night  I  believe  to  be  unfavorable 
to  health.  A  slight  fever  or  excitement  rises  in  the 
system  from  the  labors  and  anxieties  of  the  day.  The 
pulse  becomes  a  little  faster  and  fuller.  Under 
this  excitement  the  brain  may  act  more  rapidly, 
and  one  may  compose  for  a  time  with  more  ease  ; 
but  it  makes  a  draft  on  the  system,  and,  sooner  or 


78  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

later,  will   produce  nervous   prostration  and  severe 
disease. 

Avoid  all  stimulants  of  every  character,  which  may 
be  recommended  to  strengthen  your  voice  or  to  as- 
sist you  in  pulpit  duties.  I  can  scarcely  suppose 
that  any  one  who  believes  himself  called  to  the  min- 
istry will  countenance  their  use.  Yet  kind  friends 
will  sometimes  suggest  that  you  are  weak,  your 
nerves  are  tremulous,  you  have  been  out  in  the  cold, 
you  need  a  stimulant ;  and  they  will  urge  the  taking  of  a 
little  wine  or  brandy  before  preaching.  These  friends, 
if  from  England  or  Ireland,  will  tell  you  that  the 
most  distinguished  ministers  are  in  the  habit  of  using 
them ;  and  I  regret  to  say  that  in  many  churches 
there  both  wine  and  brandy  are  kept  in  the  vestry 
for  the  use  of  the  minister  both  before  and  after 
preaching.  On  my  first  visit  to  the  old  countries 
the  kind  sextons  seemed  to  be  as  much  astonished 
that  I  would  not  accept  them  as  I  was  amazed  at 
their  being  offered.  I  have  known  some  young  min- 
isters who  used  a  few  drops  of  paregoric,  or  a  small 
quantity  of  opium,  to  give  them  temporary  strength 
in  the  pulpit.  I  am  glad  to  say  that  I  have  known  but 
few  such  cases,  but  I  must  add  that  these  were  led 
in  the  end  to  either  physical  or  moral  ruin.  Dr.  Al- 
exander says  :  "The  instances  of  apostasy  within  our 
knowledge  stare  at  us  like  the  skeletons  of  lost  travel- 
ers among  the  sands  of  our  desert  way."  "  The  appari- 
tion of  clerical  drunkards,  and  the  like,  forewarn  us." 


Avoid  Stimulants.  79 

Others  limit  themselves  to  two  or  three  cups  of 
strong  coffee  or  tea.  The  effect  of  these  stimulants 
is  unquestionably  to  give  greater  strength  to  the 
system  for  the  time  ;  but  all  such  artificial  strength 
is  a  draft  which  must  be  repaid  with  interest.  The 
unnatural  excitement  will  be  followed  by  subsequent 
depression.  God  does  not  require  us  to  use  artifi- 
cial strength  in  the  pulpit.  We  must  give  ourselves 
in  our  best  vigor  and  culture  to  his  service,  but  we 
should  so  give  ourselves  that  the  service  of  one  hour 
shall  not  destroy  our  power  for  subsequent  useful- 
ness. I  believe  one  reason  why  so  many  ministers 
complain  of  "blue  Monday  "  is  that  they  have  keyed 
up  their  system  by  extra  efforts  beyond  its  natural 
tension,  and  the  excitement  passing  away  leaves 
them  depressed. 

So  with  tobacco.  In  som2  places  congregations 
are  unwilling  to  receive  ministers  who  indulge  in  its 
use.  Many  families  almost  dread  the  visits  of  such 
ministers,  lest  their  growing  sons  will  be  led  to  adopt 
a  practice  which  they  so  earnestly  discountenance 
and  oppose.  The  least  that  can  be  said  is,  it  is  a 
costly  mode  of  needless  self-indulgence,  and,  as  such, 
it  stands  in  the  way  of  a  minister's  usefulness.  He 
pleads  the  missionary  cause,  and  urges  his  congrega- 
tion to  economize  ;  but  his  words  fall  powerless  when 
they  see  that  he  does  not  love  the  cause  of  missions 
so  much  as  to  restrain  his  own  self-indulgence.  To 
many  the  odor  of  the  cigar  or  of  tobacco  is  unpleas- 


8o  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

ant,  and  especially  in  the  sick  room.  There  may  be 
a  few  cases  where  persons  are  very  phlegmatic  and 
inclined  to  corpulency,  where  a  small  amount  of  to- 
bacco may  be  of  service  medicinally.  So,  too,  in 
certain  stages  of  bronchial  difficulty  a  temporary  use 
may  be  of  some  relief  ;  but  for  persons  of  nervous 
organization,  as  ministers  usually  are,  it  is  an  un- 
mixed evil.  It  gives  temporary  tension,  to  produce 
ultimate  relaxation.  Not  a  few  cases  have  I  known 
of  most  promising  and  talented  young  men  who  have 
been  by  it  hastened  to  an  untimely  grave.  I  suppose 
there  is  sometimes  a  relish  and  enjoyment  connected 
with  it,  for  I  have  seen  men  sit  for  an  hour  smoking, 
with  their  feet  upon  a  table,  and  professing  to  be 
studying.  I  have  no  doubt  they  had  visions  of  great- 
ness and  glory ;  but  a  somewhat  extensive  and  pro- 
longed observation  shows  that  their  lives  usually  end 
with  their  cigars — in  smoke. 

The  young  minister  has  but  commenced  his  studies. 
He  may  have,  indeed,  graduated  with  honor  both 
from  the  college  and  the  theological  school ;  yet  he 
has  only  learned  how  to  study  ;  he  has  been  acquir- 
ing habits  ;  his  great  work  lies  before  him.  Too 
frequently,  as  the  bent  bow  flies  back,  so,  leaving  the 
institution,  he  feels  free  from  restraint.  The  clock 
does  not  call  him  ;  the  professors  are  not  waiting  ; 
recitations  are  not  pressing  ;  and  he  feels  a  luxury 
in  being  his  own.  He  is  in  danger  of  losing  his 
habits  of  study  ;  for  what  is  not  done  systematically 


Hours  of  Study.  8 1 

is  oftentimes  not  done  at  all  To  be  successful,  he 
must  mark  out  a  system  for  himself,  must  arrange 
his  hours  of  study,  and  adhere  to  them  as  strictly  as 
possible.  With  system  adhered  to,  much  can  be 
done.  Hannah  More  says:  "A  good  packer  will 
get  in  twice  as  much  as  a  bungler."  As  far  as  prac- 
ticable, the  morning  should  be  spent  in  study,  and 
kept  as  free  from  interruption  or  intrusion  as  possi- 
ble. Dr.  Alexander  says  :  "  Tell  me  how  you  spend 
your  forenoon  in  your  early  ministry,  and  I  shall  be 
better  able  to  predict  how  you  will  preach.  If  you 
idle,  stroll,  or  habitually  visit  before  noon,  your  men- 
tal progress  may  be  divined."  It  is  difficult  to  say 
what  number  of  hours  should  be  thus  devoted.  I 
should  be  inclined  to  place  the  inmiimim  at  three 
hours,  and  the  maxhninn  at  six.  Mr.  Wesley  enjoined 
his  preachers,  wherever  practicable,  to  spend  all  the 
morning  in  study,  or  at  least  five  hours  in  the  four 
and  twenty.  Many  German  students  spend  from 
twelve  to  sixteen  hours  in  their  study.  Edward 
Calamy  spent  sixteen  hours  a  day  ;  and  in  preparing 
his  commentary  Poole  occupied  himself  for  ten  years, 
rising  at  two  or  three  in  the  morning,  and  studying 
till  late  in  the  afternoon,  taking  only  a  slight  recess 
for  a  simple  meal.  A  preacher,  however,  has  such 
a  variety  of  duties  when  in  charge  of  a  congregation 
as  to  render  it  improper  for  him  to  study  more  than 
five  or  six  consecutive  hours.     Besides,  the  preacher 

has  this  advantage  :  he  can  be  studying  every-vvhere. 
6 


82  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

Unlike  men  whose  business  is  in  the  shop  or  count- 
ing-room, and  is  laid  aside  when  leaving  the  place, 
the  minister  finds  subjects  of  study  wherever  he 
goes.  The  families  in  which  he  visits,  the  social 
companies  he  attends,  the  men  he  encounters  in 
business,  and  the  children  on  the  streets,  furnish 
him  matter  for  thought.  He  is  God's  messenger  to 
benefit  every  one  of  them.  Hence  he  studies  their 
habits  of  life,  their  progress  in  knowledge,  their  apt- 
itudes, besetments,  and  controlling  influences.  He 
searches  for  a  key  that  shall  open  the  wards  of  their 
hearts,  for  knowledge  which  shall  instruct  them,  and 
for  consolation  which  shall  alleviate  their  sorrow. 
His  business  is  more  with  men  than  with  books. 

If  the  poet  could  say,  "  The  proper  study  of  man- 
kind is  man,"  much  more  is  it  true  as  to  the  minis- 
ter. Human  nature  spreads  out  before  him.  It  is 
the  staple  on  which  he  works.  He  must  study  the 
laws  of  mind,  of  the  associations  of  thought,  of  the 
origin  of  emotions,  the  manner  in  which  they 
strengthen  or  antagonize  each  other,  and  the  influ- 
ence which  they  exert  upon  the  will.  For  this  pur- 
pose he  needs  not  only  to  read  the  best  authors,  and 
to  study  the  best  systems,  but  to  study  man  for  him- 
self— especially  to  study  his  own  congregation,  that 
he  may  know  how  to  apply  to  them  the  word  of 
God. 

To  discharge  his  duties  properly,  he  will  nesd  a 
zeal  approaching  enthusiasm  ;  his  whole  being  must 


Love  for  Humanity.  83 

be  absorbed  in  his  work.  The  early  apostles  gave 
themselves  "continually  to  the  word  of  God  and 
prayer."  They  labored  night  and  day,  publicly  and 
privately,  in  season,  out  of  season,  warning  even  with 
tears  those  to  whom  they  had  access.  Such  must 
be  the  minister  of  to-day — a  man  of  one  work,  who 
studies  how  to  concentrate  all  possible  power  to  pro- 
duce one  result.  As  the  burning-glass  concentrates 
the  rays  of  light  until  they  acquire  a  consuming 
power,  so  thoughts  gathered  from  all  sources,  illus- 
trations from  all  departments,  motives  of  many  kinds, 
all  pass  through  his  mind,  and  are  focalized  on  one 
point — the  destruction  of  sin  and  the  substitution  of 
holiness.  It  was  said  of  the  great  Master  :  "  The 
zeal  of  thine  house  hath  eaten  me  up."  The  prophet 
says  :  "  His  word  was  in  my  heart  as  a  burning  fire 
shut  up  in  my  bones." 

The  strongest  element  of  power  is  love  for  human- 
ity. Christ  loved  men  so  much  that  he  gave  himself 
to  die  for  them.  The  true  minister  must  also  exhibit 
an  intensity  of  love.  When  the  sick  came  to  Jesus 
he  asked  no  questions  as  to  race,  parentage,  or  birth  ; 
no  questions  as  to  their  conceptions  of  him,  or  whether 
their  parents  or  friends  were  his  friends.  He  simply 
healed  them  all  ;  he  showed  them  his  kindness  by 
his  cleansing  touch  ;  and  sparks  of  grace,  coming 
from  him,  electrified  their  souls.  So  the  minister 
must  be  doing  good  to  those  around  him.  They  may 
dislike  him  and  avoid  him,  but  that  does  not  diminish 


84  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

his  obligation  to  do  them  good.  They  may  fly  from 
him,  but  he  is  to  follow  them.  Like  the  legend  which 
represents  Saint  John  as  pursuing  his  former  disciple 
into  his  haunts  as  a  robber,  and  bringing  him  back 
again  to  society  and  purity,  so  must  we  follow  with 
the  spirit  of  love  those  who  repel  us,  and  would  flee 
away. 

The  apostle  had  so  much  of  this  spirit  that  we 
hear  him  saying,  "  I  will  very  gladly  spend  and  be 
spent  for  you  ;  though  the  more  abundantly  I  love 
you,  the  less  I  be  loved."  So  intense  was  this  affec- 
tion that  he  exclaims,  "  For  I  could  wish  that  myself 
were  accursed  from  Christ  for  my  brethren,  my  kins- 
men according  to  the  flesh."  The  same  intense  agony 
of  spirit  was  manifested  by  Moses,  when  he  prayed 
for  the  Israelites,  saying  :  "  Yet  now,  if  thou  wilt — ■ 
forgive  their  sin  :  and  if  not,  blot  me,  I  pray  thee, 
out  of  thy  book  which  thou  hast  written."  That 
same  spirit  dwells  in  the  bosom  of  earnest  and  suc- 
cessful ministers.  "  Give  me  souls,  or  I  die  !"  has 
been  the  exclamation  of  many  a  devoted  servant  of 
God.  This  longing  earnestness  will  manifest  itself 
in  the  spirit  of  the  minister,  will  be  breathed  into  his 
sermons,  and  will  actuate  him  in  all  his  duties.  Men 
will  see  that  he  is  in  the  ministry,  not  simply  as  a 
profession  for  a  livelihood,  but  that  his  mission  is  to 
save  and  bless  humanity. 

In  his  intercourse  with  society  the  preacher  needs 
to  avoid   the  spirit   of  dogmatism.     The   influences 


Avoid  Dogmatism.  85 

connected  with  the  pulpit  naturally  lead  in  this  direc- 
tion. The  pulpit  is  "  the  throne  of  the  preacher  ; "  he 
utters  his  message  authoritatively,  and  he  is  very  li- 
able to  utter  his  own  thoughts  in  the  same  manner. 
The  attorney  has  his  antagonistic  counsel  watching 
him  every  moment,  replying  to  what  he  says,  ques- 
tioning his  authorities,  denying  the  correctness  of  his 
statements,  showing  the  fallacy  of  his  arguments,  and 
the  irrelevancy  of  his  illustrations.  He  is  compelled 
to  be  perpetually  on  his  guard,  and  to  expect  oppo- 
sition and  contradiction.  Attorneys  treat  this  as  a 
necessary  incident  in  professional  life  ;  and,  while 
highly  excited  this  hour,  they  are  genial  and  pleasant 
the  next.  But  the  minister,  unused  to  contradiction 
or  reply,  thinks  himself  almost  insulted  if  one  calls  in 
question  the  correctness  of  his  views,  or  the  accuracy 
of  his  statements.  It  would  be  a  good  thing  for  you  if 
you  could  have  some  true  friend  who  would  carefully 
show  you  the  weakness  of  your  arguments,  defects  in 
your  statements,  or  any  errors,  either  in  matter  or 
manner,  into  which  you  may  have  fallen.  Such  a 
man  would  be  your  greatest  friend,  and  yet  how  few 
are  willing  to  receive  kindly  such  admonition  ! 

Sometimes  a  morbid  sensitiveness,  almost  amount- 
ing to  irritability  and  peevishness,  impairs  a  minis- 
ter's usefulness.  This  does  not  arise  directly  from 
his  work  ;  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  is  one  of  patience 
and  love.  But  this  liability  springs  out  of  constitu- 
tional tendency.     The   minister   is  generally   of  an 


86  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

active  temperament,  and  frequently  of  fine  taste  and 
esthetic  culture.  His  whole  training  develops  nerv- 
ous sensibility.  Poets,  sculptors,  painters,  and  sing- 
ers are  proverbially  irritable.  Their  cultivated- sensi- 
bility, their  accurate  choice  of  colors,  their  perception 
of  symmetry  of  form,  their  nice  discrimination  of 
musical  tones  and  chords,  all  develop  and  stimulate 
their  nervous  power.  What  is  incongruous  annoys  ; 
a  discord  shocks  ;  and  musical  connoisseurs  are  in  ter- 
rible agony  when  others  are  enjoying  a  plain  evening 
song.  Every  minister  knows,  or  will  know,  the  trouble 
that  arises  among  singers,  and  the  difficulty  of  keep- 
ing large  choirs  together.  It  is  the  result  of  their 
peculiarly  sensitive  organism.  Preachers  are  liable 
to  the  same  influences.  They  may  not  be  either  fine 
singers  or  renowned  poets  or  painters,  but  they  live 
in  a  realm  of  nervous  excitement.  They  have  a  po- 
etic outlook  ;  they  see  pictures  of  beauty,  images  of 
grandeur,  and  conceptions  of  purity  and  glory.  The 
realities  of  practical  life,  the  hard  knocks  of  the 
world,  the  discords  of  society,  affect  most  uncomfort- 
ably such  constitutions.  But  the  minister  should  re- 
member that  he  is  sent  to  exhibit  the  beauty  of  a 
Christian  life  and  the  spirit  of  gentleness  and  pa- 
tience in  the  midst  of  an  agitated  world. 

One  great  source  of  a  minister's  annoyance  is  con- 
nected with  his  pecuniary  support.  In  nine  cases 
out  of  ten,  this  will  be  quite  limited.  He  has  been 
well   educated,  associated  with   respectable  society, 


Self -Conceit.  8y 

has  acquired  a  taste  for  neatness,  admires  tlie  beau- 
tiful in  painting,  and  feels  the  absolute  necessity  of 
books  ;  but  he  has  no  fortune  at  his  command.  His 
salary,  though  oftentimes  meager,  is  not  promptly 
paid,  and  many  a  sad  heart-ache  comes  from  inability 
to  meet  pressing  wants  and  demands.  The  true 
remedy  can  only  be  found  in  economy.  In  college 
life  he  studied  political  economy,  but  in  ministerial 
life  his  studies  will  be  protracted  and  severe  in  per- 
sonal and  domestic  economy.  An  inflexible  resolu- 
tion should  be  formed  never  to  go  in  debt.  "  Owe 
no  man  any  thing,"  is  an  apostolic  injunction.  John 
Randolph  is  reported  to  have  said  in  Congress  :  "  I 
have  found  the  philosopher's  stone.  It  is,  '  Pay  as 
you  go.' " 

The  young  minister  will  need  to  guard  against  self- 
conceit.  He  may  have  been  successful  in  preaching, 
and  fancy  he  has  already  overcome  all  difificuities, 
and  will  take  his  place  as  one  of  the  orators  of  the 
land.  He  has  scarcely  descended  from  the  pulpit 
when  some  one  is  silly  enough  to  tell  him,  and  he  is 
foolish  enough  to  believe,  that  he  has  preached  a  fine 
sermon.  He  compares  himself  with  some  able  and 
aged  minister,  and  fancies  that  he  is  already  more 
popular  ;  and  he  lays  aside  his  sermon  with  the  con- 
viction that  it  is  as  nearly  perfect  as  a  human  per- 
formance can  be,  and  that  he  has  little  more  need  for 
study  or  care,  because  his  fame  is  already  secure 

It  cannot   be  denied  that  there  is  a  tendency  in 


88  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

Churches  to  seek  for  young  men  rather  than  for  the 
old  ;  and  I  believe  this  is  one  of  the  great  errors  of 
Christian  congregations.  It  is  not  so  in  other  pro- 
fessions. The  older  a  physician  is,  and  the  more 
cases  he  has  successfully  treated,  the  greater  is  the 
confidence  felt  in  his  opinion  ;  and  patients  regard 
with  doubt  the  visits  of  young  physicians  who  come 
in  the  place  of  older  ones.  The  attorney,  as  he 
grows  in  years,  is  supposed  to  increase  in  skill  ;  and 
while  clients  are  willing  that  the  younger  members 
of  the  firm  shall  collect  testimony,  and  work  up  the 
case,  they  desire  the  counsel  and  advice  of  the  senior 
member  to  guide  them  through  its  complications  and 
intricacy.  The  statesman  never  grows  too  old  to  be 
appreciated  and  sought  for.  A  Russell,  a  Brougham, 
and  a  Palmers  ton  in  England,  and  a  Webster,  Clay, 
and  Benton  in  America,  were  leaders  as  long  as  they 
lived.  To-day  Gladstone,  Disraeli,  Bismarck,  and 
Gortschakofif  are  the  men  who  control,  in  great 
measure,  the  destinies  of  Europe.  To  an  advanced 
age  Thiers  was  the  skillful  and  acknowledged  leader 
in  France.  Why  should  it  not  be  so  in  the  ministry  ? 
And  why  is  it  that  men  turn,  in  the  most  important 
interests  of  life  affecting  themselves  and  their  fami- 
lies, from  the  counsels  of  age  and  experience,  to 
those  of  the  young  and  less  skilled  ?  I  may  not  be 
able  to  answer  this  question  satisfactorily,  either  to 
you  or  myself.  One  reason,  I  believe,  is  the  neglect 
of  study  on  the  part  of  many  aged  ministers.     They 


Need  of  Study.  89 

miss  that  stimulus  which  belongs  to  the  other  pro- 
fessions. To  the  physician  every  case  is  new  ;  new 
investigations  in  pathology  may  change  his  views  as 
to  the  nature  of  the  disease ;  new  remedies  are  dis- 
covered and  recommended  ;  he  must  keep  abreast 
of  the  times,  or  some  competitor  will  take  away  his 
practice.  The  attorney  finds  some  new  element  in 
almost  every  case  ;  new  decisions  are  given  by  the 
Supreme  Court,  and  he  must  study  them.  In  states- 
manship new  complications  are  constantly  arising  ; 
the  connections  of  nations  are  so  numerous,  their 
interests  are  so  wide,  the  matters  involved  are  so 
various,  and  sometimes  so  vast,  as  to  require  the  ut- 
most comprehensiveness  in  grasp,  and  attention  to 
the  least  mimitiee  in  detail.  The  statesman  has  no 
old  sermon  he  can  pick  up  and  apply  ;  he  must  think 
and  study  and  write,  and  this  keeps  the  mind  ever 
active  and  fresh.  Then  he  has  around  him  a  world 
finding  fault.  An  eagle-eyed  Gladstone  is  watching 
a  Disraeli  ;  an  argus-eyed  press  is  watching  the 
movements  of  every  administration.  There  is  no 
time  to  nod  or  sleep.  But  the  old  minister  sits 
down  under  his  vine  or  fig-tree,  and  there  is  none  to 
molest  him  or  make  him  afraid.  He  hurls  thunder- 
bolts at  the  heads  of  scientists,  who  are  a  thousand 
miles  away,  and  will  never  hear  of  his  denunciations. 
He  descants  upon  the  sins  of  the  Egyptians,  who  have 
been  mummies  for  three  thousand  years  ;  or  upon 
the  pride  of  Babylon   or  Nineveh,  which  have  been 


90  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

swept  away  by  the  flood  of  ages.  He  is  pressed 
for  time,  and  brings  before  his  congregation  of  to-day 
a  discussion  he  had  made  twenty  years  ago,  on  an 
issue  then  living,  but  now  almost  forgotten.  His 
thoughts  are  of  the  past,  his  sermons  are  of  the  past, 
and  the  generation  of  to-day  feels  that  he  is  scarcely 
one  of  them. 

But,  independently  of  this,  society  loves  to  be 
stirred  or  excited.  Youth  has  greater  power  in 
arousing  ;  it  has  more  enthusiasm  and  zeal.  Whether 
it  be  more  earnest  in  heart  or  not,  it  exhibits  greater 
earnestness.  The  eye  sparkles  more  lively,  the  ut- 
terance is  more  rapid,  the  gesticulation  more  excited, 
and  the  whole  frame  more  impassioned.  There  is  no 
need  of  age  losing  its  keenness  of  thought  or  its  in- 
tense interest  in  the  issues  of  to-day  ;  there  is  no 
need  that  it  should  lose  its  earnestness  of  heart, 
though  it  may  of  manner.  The  latter,  I  suppose,  is 
almost  unavoidable. 

I  must  not  trench  much  on  metaphysics  ;  yet  I 
may  say,  I  suppose  minds  differ  chiefly  in  two  things  : 
First,  in  the  rapidity  with  which  thought  succeeds 
thought.  I  can  fancy  it  quite  possible  that  some  men 
may  think  two  or  three  times  as  fast  as  I  can.  In 
the  images  cast  from  the  camera,  you  have  sometimes 
seen  how  slowly  a  shadow  may  pass  along  the  cur- 
tain, and  then  again  how  rapidly  one  chases  another. 
It  may  be  so  across  the  field  of  mind.  Where 
thoughts   move  most  rapidly  in  succession,  conclu- 


Mental  Differences.  g  i 

sions  are  more  rapidly  reached ;  and  if,  as  some  philos- 
ophers fancy,  the  origin  of  the  idea  of  duration  is  from 
the  flow  of  thought,  one  man  may  seem  to  live  longer 
in  a  month  than  another  in  a  year.  Now,  in  the  same 
person,  as  the  pulse  beats  more  rapidly  in  youth  and 
more  slowly  in  age,  so  it  is  probably  in  the  succes- 
sion of  thoughts.  The  second  element  in  which 
minds  differ,  is  in  the  number  of  thoughts  which  troop 
abreast  across  the  field.  I  have  no  faith  in  the  opin- 
ion sometimes  advanced,  that  we  can  have  only  one 
idea  in  the  mind  at  the  same  time.  If  we  had  but 
one  idea,  there  would  be  no  comparison  and  no  rea- 
soning ;  there  would  be  no  fancy,  no  imagination. 
Some  minds  may  be  exceedingly  narrow.  They  are 
your  severely  logical  minds.  Their  whole  strength 
is  spent  in  examining  how  one  link  of  thought  is  fast- 
ened into  another,  and  how  strong  and  unbroken  is 
the  chain.  The  chief  motion  of  their  minds  is  in  a 
line  ;  and  as  the  hound  pursues  the  hare  without 
looking  to  the  right  or  left,  so  such  men  pursue  an 
idea  ;  and  sometimes,  when  they  catch  it,  they  al- 
most kill  it.  Still,  they  have  their  use.  They  are 
logical,  severely  logical,  though  the  skeletons  they 
form  are  so  dry  that  one  may  well  ask,  "  Can  these 
dry  bones  live.''" 

Other  minds,  however,  see  a  whole  platoon  of 
thoughts.  Usually  one  advances  sword  in  hand,  like 
a  captain,  and  the  others  are  mere  privates.  Such 
men  write  floridly,  or  speak  floridly  ;  they  deck  with 


92  Lfxtures  on  Preaching. 

jewels  their  favorite  idea,  and  cover  it  with  a  pro- 
fusion of  ornaments.  They  are  rich  in  illustrations, 
abundant  in  the  metaphors  ;  and  sometimes  so  luxu- 
riant that  the  main  idea  is  hidden  under  the  foliage, 
and  escapes  them  utterly  ;  then  their  speech  or  essay 
is  point-nO'point  ;  you  are  bewildered,  and  cannot 
tell  what  is  meant.  Habit  largely  influences  and 
controls  us,  but  I  think  the  ordinary  law  is  that,  with- 
out careful  study  and  constant  culture,  not  only  is  the 
succession  of  thoughts  more  sluggish  in  age,  but  the 
width  of  their  platoon  also  diminishes.  Age  may 
think  more  correctly,  but  less  ornamentally,  and  the 
common  mind  is  pleased  with  illustrations,  figures, 
and  ornaments.  Grander  stores  of  knowledge  and 
broader  views  of  life  are  needed  to  compensate  for 
the  diminution  of  the  power  to  charm  and  impress. 

There  is  another  reason  why  the  young  minister 
is  sometimes  preferred.  The  human  mind  has  a  love 
for  noticing  development  or  growth.  We  love  the 
beauty  of  the  morning  as  the  light  so  sweetly  spreads, 
deepening  in  intensity  before  the  rising  sun.  From 
the  clear  sky  we  anticipate  a  bright  and  beautiful 
day.  The  noon  hour  brings  with  it  the  thought  of 
declension — an  unpleasant  thought  to  the  mind.  We 
wander  through  the  garden  :  the  opening  bud  is  more 
beautiful  than  the  full-blown  rose.  There  is  the 
thought  of  beauty,  with  the  added  thought  of  increas- 
ing beauty  ;  but  with  the  full-blown  rose  comes  the 
idea  of  decay.     So,  too,  in  realms  of  business.     A-Ten 


Promise  in  Youth.  93 

prefer  investing  in  growing  towns  rather  than  in  older 
ones.  They  purchase  corner  lots,  not  because  of 
their  value  to-day,  but  for  what  it  is  supposed  they 
will  be  worth  ten  years  hence.  So  it  is  with  the 
ministry.  Men  love  to  hear  the  young  minister,  for 
they  say,  He  preaches  a  fine  sermon,  and  he  will 
preach  better  by  and  by.  They  take  stock  in  him, 
not  because  of  what  he  is,  but  of  what  he  will  be. 
They  admire  his  utterances,  not  merely  because  of 
what  they  are,  but  for  the  promise  they  give  of  coming 
oratory.  So,  because  of  this  feeling,  they  prefer  him 
to  the  man  who  is  fully  developed,  and  whose  real 
value  to-day  may  be  much  greater.  But  if  that  young 
man  rests  on  his  laurels,  if  he  fails  to  study,  if  he 
preaches  only  the  same  sermons  ten  years  afterward, 
the  Church  will  feel  woefully  disappointed,  and  will 
regret  its  investment,  because  the  anticipated  rise  is 
not  realized.  It  may  be  illustrated  by  what  we  find 
in  our  own  families.  The  little  child  just  beginning 
to  speak  is  an  object  of  admiration  and  delight.  The 
first  time  he  says  "  Pa  "  or  "  Ma  "  distinctly  the  family 
is  enraptured.  When  he  is  able  to  put  a  sentence 
together,  though  half  the  words  may  be  misplaced, 
and  the  other  half  wrongly  pronounced,  they  pat  him 
on  the  head  and  clap  their  hands  for  joy.  They  call 
him  a  coming  genius.  But  if  ten  years  pass  awa3% 
and  he  makes  no  improvement  in  his  speech,  it  will 
not  be  on  the  head  \\\Q.y  will  pat  him. 

While   the    young    minister  should    be    guarded 


94  Lectures  on-  Preaching. 

against  self-conceit,  he  is  also  to  be  cautioned  against 
discouragements.  Eminence  is  not  gained  at  once. 
The  orators  of  to-day,  like  orators  of  old,  straggle 
with  difficulties.  The  preacher  who  seems  to  speak 
with  ease  and  power  has  gained  his  position  by  long- 
continued  effort.  The  work  he  does  to-day  is  not  of 
to-day.  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  it  is  said,  was  re- 
quested by  a  nobleman  to  paint  for  him  a  special 
picture.  In  a  few  weeks  the  order  was  filled,  and  a 
bill  presented  for  five  hundred  guineas.  The  noble- 
man demurred  at  the  price,  and  said  it  had  cost  the 
artist  only  the  labor  of  a  few  days.  Sir  Joshua  re- 
plied that  he  was  mistaken  ;  it  had  taken  him  forty 
years  to  paint  it.  So  the  sermon  of  to-day,  or  the 
work  of  to-day,  though  just  planned  or  painted,  is 
really  the  work  of  years  of  thorough  culture.  I  pre- 
sume there  are  but  few  young  men  who  have  not  a 
sense  of  discouragement  when  they  listen  to  the 
efforts  of  superior  thinkers  and  orators.  They  should, 
however,  remember,  first,  that  quite  possibly  they 
may  equal  these  orators  at  some  future  period,  and 
their  example  should  be  a  stivudus ;  secondly,  that 
God  gives  but  few  such  men  to  his  Church,  and  that 
there  is  plenty  of  room  for  earnest  workers,  even  if 
not  so  highly  talented. 

Let  me  speak  again  of  myself.  The  only  severe 
temptation  I  ever  had  to  quit  the  active  work  of  the 
ministry  was  during  my  first  year.  A  church  was 
finished  on  the  circuit  I  traveled  ;  an  eminent  min- 


Discotirngcmcnts.  95 

ister  was  called  to  the  dedication  ;  he  was  a  man  of 
great  mental  power,  an  acute  and  original  thinker, 
but  of  delicate  health.  For  some  years  he  had  been 
trammeled  with  doubts  and  perplexities,  partly  owing 
to  his  state  of  health,  and  partly  owing  to  Unitarian 
works  which  he  had  read,  and  which,  for  a  time, 
weakened  his  power  of  asserting  the  divinity  of  Christ. 
But  his  health  had  improved,  he  had  emerged  from 
all  these  doubts  into  clear  and  strong  faith,  and  he 
was  enjoying  a  sacred  influence  of  the  floly  Spirit. 
During  the  services  he  preached  five  sermons,  full  of 
thought  most  forcibly  expressed,  and  accompanied 
with  a  divine  unction.  I  thought  then  I  had  never 
heard  five  such  sermons.  I  still  think  I  have  heard 
but  few  equal  to  them.  The  effect  upon  me  was  one 
of  humiliation  and  discouragement.  I  felt  I  had  no 
right  to  stand  in  the  sacred  desk,  and  to  utter  my 
feeble  thoughts  like  the  lispings  of  childhood,  when 
the  services  of  such  men  could  be  secured.  I  re- 
solved firmly  to  close  my  connection  with  the  Con- 
ference at  the  end  of  the  year.  I  did  not  dare  to 
think  of  ceasing  to  preach ;  but  I  would  be  what 
Methodists  term  a  local  preacher.  I  would  support 
myself  by  another  profession,  and  preach  whenever 
and  wherever  I  could  find  a  place  to  do  good.  I 
mentioned  my  purpose  to  but  one  friend,  who  had 
heard  those  sermons  as  well  as  myself;  and  who  yet 
protested  most  emphatically,  and  even  tearfully, 
against  my  decision.     Before  the  year  closed  I  had  a 


96  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

most  interesting  service.  A  minister,  one  year  older 
than  myself  in  the  Conference,  came  to  visit  me, 
and  I  invited  him  to  preach.  My  congregation  was 
unusually  large  and  intelligent,  and  I  knew  nothing 
of  my  brother's  qualifications.  Before  he  had  pro- 
ceeded far  I  discovered  I  had  made  a  mistake.  His 
thoughts  were  crude  and  disjointed,  and  he  murdered 
the  king's  English.  I  was  deeply  mortified.  I  got 
my  head  down  behind  the  pulpit,  and  as  he  proceeded 
it  got  lower  and  lower.  I  was  chagrined  and  vexed, 
and  said  to  myself,  As  long  as  the  Church  has  room 
for  such  ministers,  I  will  stay  and  preach  on.  It 
was  the  last  temptation  I  ever  had.  Since  I  have 
been  Bishop  it  has  been  my  lot  to  give  that  minister 
an  appointment.  He  has  never  excelled  as  a  preach- 
er. Though  I  have  kept  his  name  strictly  to  myself, 
I  have  never  met  him  without  feeling  a  glow  of  grati- 
tude that,  through  his  stumbling  that  evening,  I  was 
cured  of  my  discouragement. 


Careful  Preparation.  97 


LECTURE    IV. 

INDIRECT  PREPARATION  FOR  THE  PULPIT. 

TTVERY  work  of  importance  demands  proper 
-* — '  preparation.  As  preaching  is  the  most  exalted 
duty  which  God  has  devolved  upon  man,  it  requires 
the  most  thorough  qualification.  Yet  there  are  a  few 
persons  who  claim  that  the  minister  is  to  speak  with- 
out premeditation.  They  profess  to  obey  the  decla- 
ration of  our  Saviour  to  his  disciples,  "Take  no 
thought  how  or  what  ye  shall  speak :  for  it  shall  be 
given  you  in  that  same  hour  what  ye  shall  speak. 
For  it  is  not  ye  that  speak,  but  the  Spirit  of  your  Fa- 
ther which  speaketh  in  you."  This  direction,  how- 
ever, was  given  only  to  those  who  were  delivered  into 
the  hands  of  governors  and  kings,  to  be  scourged  and 
punished  for  their  faith.  It  was  given,  also,  only  to 
those  who  were  miraculously  endowed,  and  to  whom 
Christ  had  given  power  against  unclean  spirits,  to 
cast  them  out,  and  to  heal  all  manner  of  sickness  and 
all  manner  of  disease.  Hence,  the  direction  is  appli- 
cable only,  in  the  present  day,  to  such  as  can  show 
similar  power,  or  who  are  arrested  and  brought  before 
magistrates  for  Christ's  sake. 

Those   who   plead    for    unpremeditated    speaking 
7 


I 


98  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

claim  that  they  thus  honor  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  that 
they  rely  not  on  their  own  knowledge,  or  arguments, 
or  eloquence,  but  on  divine  inspiration.  I  would  not 
for  one  moment  depreciate  the  oflices  and  influences 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  nor  the  promised  presence  of 
Christ  with  his  disciples  ;  but  the  work  of  preaching 
has  an  analogy  to  other  works  which  God  requires 
man  to  perform.  The  farmer  prepares  the  ground, 
procures  the  desired  seed,  sows  it  properly,  and  care- 
fully protects  the  growing  crops,  yet  God  alone  gives 
the  harvest.  He  has  put  life  into  the  seed,  and  wa- 
ters and  warms  it  with  the  showers  and  sunlight  of 
heaven.  The  physician,  called  to  the  bedside  of  suf- 
fering, carefully  examines  the  character  of  the  disease 
and  its  progress,  and  selects  the  best  remedies  within 
his  knowledge ;  yet  it  is  because  God  has  so  formed 
the  human  frame,  and  so  disposed  the  qualities  of  the 
remedies,  that  health  may  be  thus  regained.  God 
has  given  to  the  minister  his  word,  as  the  sword  of 
the  Spirit ;  has  given  to  him  judgment  and  skill  for 
its  use,  and  sympathy  for  his  congregation.  The 
Holy  Spirit  shines  upon  them  all,  illumining  the  sa- 
cred page,  guiding  the  judgment  of  the  minister,  and 
inclining  the  hearts  of  the  congregation  to  hear  and 
receive  the  truth.  So  that,  though  Paul  may  plant, 
and  Apollos  may  water,  God  gives  the  increase. 

Strictly  speaking,  extemporaneous  preaching  is  im- 
possible. A  minister  may  select  a  text  without  hav- 
ing his   thoughts  specifically  arranged,  and  may  de- 


Matter  of  Sermons.  99 

pend  upon  his  memory  and  imagination  for  the  utter- 
ances he  is  about  to  make  ;  but  his  power  of  speech 
he  received  in  infancy  ;  the  words  he  employs  he  has 
used  from  childhood.  If  he  quote  Scripture,  or  re- 
fer to  any  incident  within  his  experience  or  observa- 
tion, he  is  using  his  memory.  The  extemporaneous- 
ness  of  the  speech  lies  only  in  the  order  in  which 
his  thoughts  are  presented,  or  in  such  suggestions  as 
at  the  moment  may  occur.  The  office  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  thus  defined  by  our  Saviour :  "  He  shall 
teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  re- 
membrance, whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you."  When 
Christ  sent  forth  his  disciples  to  preach  he  gave  them 
their  sermon,  commanding  them,  "As  ye  go,  preach, 
saying,  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  It  was 
a  short  sermon,  but  it  stirred  the  hearts  of  the  Jewish 
world.  His  further  directions  were,  to  repreach  the 
lessons  they  had  heard  from  him  :  "  What  I  tell  you 
in  darkness,  that  speak  ye  in  light :  and  what  ye  hear 
in  the  ear,  that  preach  ye  upon  the  house-tops."  And 
in  the  great  commission  he  directed  them  to  "  teach 
all  nations  "  "  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have 
commanded  you."  He  thus  gave  to  his  disciples  the 
sum  and  substance  of  their  preaching,  which  they 
were  carefully  to  remember  and  faithfully  to  proclaim 
wherever  they  went.  The  apostle  charges  Timothy, 
"  Till  I  come,  give  attendance  to  reading,  to  exhorta- 
tion, to  doctrine."  "  Meditate  upon  these  things  ; 
give  thyself  wholly  to  them  ;  that  thy  profiting  may 


lOO  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

appear  to  all."  And  again  :  "  If  any  man  teach  oth- 
erwise, and  consent  not  to  wholesome  words,  even 
the  words  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  the  doc- 
trine which  is  according  to  godliness  ;  he  is  proud, 
knowing  nothing,  but  doting  about  questions  and 
strifes  of  words." 

These  preparations  for  the  pulpit  may  be  direct  or 
indirect.  The  direct  preparation  applies  to  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  sermon  which  may  be  immediately 
on  hand.  The  indirect,  to  the  accumulation  of  ma- 
terials which  shall  be  held  in  reserve,  and  ready  for 
use  whenever  necessary.  This  indirect  preparation 
will  now  be  considered. 

"  Preach  the  word  !"  was  the  emphatic  injunction 
uttered  by  St.  Paul  among  his  last  words.  And  if 
preaching  be  the  declaration  of  a  message  sent 
through  us  to  our  fellow-men,  that  word  is  the  only 
thing  which  we  should  preach.  We  are  informed 
that  "  all  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God, 
and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correc- 
tion, for  instruction  in  righteousness  :  that  the  man 
of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all 
good  works."  Timothy  is  thus  congratulated  :  •'  From 
a  child  thou  hast  known  the  holy  Scriptures,  which 
are  able  to  make  thee  wise  unto  salvation,  through 
faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus."  That  sublime  pas- 
sage of  the  psalmist  commencing  with  "  The  word  of 
the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul,"  sets  forth 
the  value  of  the  word  in  most  beautiful  language. 


Study  of  Scriptures.  lOI 

Jesus  says  :  "  The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  they 
are  spirit,  and  they  are  Hfe." 

That  the  minister  may  successfully  preach  this 
word  he  must  study  it  diligently.  He  must  not  read 
it  merely  for  his  personal  profit,  (to  which  reference 
was  made  in  a  former  lecture,)  but  that  he  may  be 
able  to  explain  it  clearly  to  others,  and  draw  from  it 
such  lessons  as  may  be  for  their  instruction  and  spir- 
itual profit.  For  this  purpose  he  must  not  only  read 
it  consecutively  and  thoroughly,  but  must  so  examine 
each  separate  book  as  to  become  fully  imbued  with 
the  spirit  of  the  writer,  the  age  in  which  and  the 
people  for  whom  he  more  especially  wrote,  together 
with  the  attendant  circumstances  which  add  signifi- 
cance and  force  to  the  words.  The  relation  of  each 
part  to  the  whole,  and  as  embraced  in  the  whole, 
should  be  so  considered  that  the  unity  of  the  Script- 
ures may  more  fully  appear.  It  is  a  unity  extending 
through  the  ages.  Made  up  of  many  parts,  proceeding 
from  the  pens  of  many  writers,  it  is  yet  so  beautifully 
blended  in  its  rays  of  various  hues  as  to  make  one 
brilliant  light  to  shine  upon  man's  pathway  from 
time  to  eternity. 

For  its  clear  elucidation,  Scripture  must  be  com- 
pared with  Scripture,  and  the  helps  of  critical  writers, 
such  as  commentators,  must  also  be  used.  Works 
illustrating  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people 
in  the  several  ages,  the  historical  connections  between 
the  Israelites  and  surrounding  nations,  and  the  geog- 


I02  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

raphy  and  topography  of  the  Holy  Land,  will  also  be 
of  immense  service  to  the  biblical  student.  I  shall 
not  detain  you  by  alluding  to  specific  authors,  or  by 
attempting  a  comparison  of  the  relative  value  of 
these  several  studies.  These  matters  pertain  to  your 
regular  course,  and  are  taught  by  your  able  and  hon- 
ored professors  more  fittingly  than  I  could  teach 
them.  I  would  earnestly  recommend,  however,  that 
your  chief  attention  be  given  to  the  word  itself,  and 
to  the  illustration  of  Scripture  by  Scripture. 

The  l^ible  should  be  so  studied  that  it  shall  be  at 
the  command  of  the  preacher  at  all  times.  What- 
ever else  he  may  know,  or  not  know,  he  must,  to  be 
successful,  have  a  ready  knowledge  of  scriptural  lan- 
guage. In  it  he  will  find  the  foundation  for  his  best 
arguments,  as  well  as  his  finest  illustrations.  Its  po- 
etry is  beautiful,  its  imagery  is  sublime.  Its  great 
value  is,  that  it  is  truth  stated  by  the  Lord  himself  in 
such  form  and  manner  as  will  best  reach  the  human 
conscience.  The  preacher  who  quotes  much  of  the 
Bible  has,  not  only  in  the  estimation  of  his  hearers 
the  authority  of  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,"  but  there  is 
also  a  divine  unseen  power  so  joined  to  those  words 
that  they  cannot  be  uttered  without  fruit.  The  words 
of  men,  however  forcible  and  however  beautiful  they 
may  be,  are  but  words.  But  the  words  of  the  Lord 
revealed  to  man  and  for  man  have  connected  with 
them  a  divine  power  beyond  the  words  themselves. 
How  this  is  I  may  not  be  able  to  tell  ;  but  we  have 


Pozver  of  Divine  Words.  103 

illustrations  throughout  the  Holy  Scriptures.  When 
the  Israelites  stood  at  the  Red  Sea  there  was  no  power 
in  the  words  of  Moses  more  than  in  ordinary  words, 
yet  because  God  directed  him  to  utter  them,  the  wa- 
ters were  parted  and  the  dry  land  appeared.  When 
Elisha,  with  the  mantle  of  Elijah,  smote  the  Jordan, 
the  cloth  was  simply  like  other  cloth  ;  Elisha's  arm 
was  strong  only  as  our  arm,  yet  the  smitten  river 
opened  a  pathway,  and  Elisha  went  over.  When  Je- 
sus spoke  to  the  winds  and  the  waves,  I  suppose 
there  was  nothing  remarkable  in  his  tone  or  manner, 
and  yet  the  elements  obeyed,  for  they  felt  the  voice 
of  God.  You  remember  how  the  seventy  came  back 
after  Jesus  had  sent  them  forth  to  preach,  and  in- 
formed him  with  joy  that  "  even  the  devils  are  sub- 
ject unto  us  through  thy  name."  I  suppose  they 
were  amazed  when  they  found  the  words  which  they 
uttered  accompanied,  or  followed,  by  such  glorious 
results.  It  was  because  the  words  they  spake  were 
the  words  which  Jesus  gave  them.  So  those  words 
from  your  lips  will  be  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion. 

You  will  find,  also,  that  men  the  most  eminent  for 
usefulness  have  been  the  closest  students  of  the 
divine  word.  Some  of  them  knew  but  little  else. 
Out  of  the  Bible  and  his  own  experience  Bunyan 
drew  the  wonderful  story  of  the  "  Pilgrim's  Progress," 
which  has  probably  a  hundred  readers  where  the 
most  eloquent  sermon  that  the  greatest  uninspired 


I04  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

orator  ever  uttered  has  but  one.  We  have  South 
and  Barrows,  Howe  and  Goodwin,  Calvin  and  Lu- 
ther, Wesley  and  Edwards,  in  our  libraries,  and 
among  our  standard  works,  yet  they  are  read  and 
studied  only  by  the  few ;  but  the  words  of  the 
humble  tinker  are  in  almost  every  cottage,  and  they 
have  brought  comfort  and  peace  to  many  a  troubled 
soul.  The  secret  is,  he  used  God's  word  more  than 
his  own.  One  of  the  highest  dignitaries  in  England 
is  reported  to  have  said,  "  The  Bible  and  Shakspeare 
made  me  Archbishop  of  Yoik."  It  is  only  by  an 
intimate  and  ready  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  we 
can  be  "  thoroughly  furnished  for  all  good  works." 

Let  me  caution  you  against  underrating  any  por- 
tion of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  Psalms  are  beau- 
tiful, the  Gospels  and  Epistles  are  rich  and  instruct- 
ive, but  they  are  only  parts  of  the  word  of  God. 
Never  allow  yourself  to  speak  or  think  disparagingly 
of  the  Old  Testament.  It  is  as  much  the  word  of  God 
as  the  New.  It  would  not  have  been  revealed,  but 
that  God  saw  it  was  necessary  for  our  humanity.  Its 
necessity  is  not  merely  historical,  prophetical,  or  ex- 
planatory ;  but  there  are  rich  veins  of  truth  cropping 
out  amid  its  local  histories,  and  even  its  darkest  nar- 
ratives, like  the  veins  of  gold  and  silver  amid  the 
rugged  quartz  of  the  mountains,  that  will  amply  re- 
pay and  enrich  the  devoted  searcher.  May  I  illus- 
trate by  an  incident  from  my  own  reading  and  ex- 
perience .-*     I  was  a  Bible  reader  from  my  childhood, 


Dark  Portraits.  lOj 

and  I  remember  that  very  early  I  was  surprised  that 
so  many  evil  things  were  written  about  the  best  men  ; 
that  the  portraits  of  some  of  them,  though  command- 
ing as  a  whole,  were  drawn  with   exceedingly  dark 
colors.     There  were  even  passages  which,  it  seemed 
to  me,  might  as  well  have  been  omitted.     It  did  not 
seem  to  me  that  they  added  either  to  the  glory  of 
God  or  to  the  real  instruction   or  edification   of  hu- 
manity.    When  I  asked  my  teachers  why  they  were 
there,  I  was  answered  :    It  was  to  show  the  truth- 
fulness  and   impartiality  of  the   divine   writers ;    if 
they  had  drawn   these   characters  without  shadows, 
the  portraits  would  not  have  been  true  ;  and  their 
narratives  would  have  been  eulogies  rather  than  his- 
tories.     I    supposed   the  explanation   was   the  best 
which  could  be  given,  but  it  was  not  satisfactory,     I 
could  not  help  saying  to  myself,  that  had  I  written 
the  life  of  Noah   I  would  have  omitted  that  so  mi- 
nutely described  scene  of  his  drunkenness  and  dis- 
grace.    Had  I  written  the  life  of  Judah,  I  should  not 
have  dwelt  on  his  association  wxxh  Tamar.     Had  I 
been  writing  a  sketch  of  David,  I  should  have  passed 
more  rapidly  over  the  story  of  Bathsheba ;   and   I 
would  not  have  made  so  prominent  the  sins  of  Solo- 
mon.    Then  I  was  told  that  these  incidents  were  re- 
lated that  the  wonderful  mercy  of  God  might  be  ex- 
hibited, and  that  hope  might  be  given  to  sinners  in 
every  age,  when  it  was  seen   that,  notwithstanding 
these  vices  and  crimes,  God  pardoned  and  honored 


io6  Lectdres  on  Preaching. 

his  servants  still.     That  view  gave  me  more  comfort, 
but  not  perfect  satisfaction. 

I  was  reading  one  day,  when  it  occurred  to  me 
that  nearly  all  these  dreadful  things  were  recorded  of 
the  ancestors  of  Christ ;  that  Noah  was  not  the  only 
man  who  had  used  strong  drink  ;  nor  Judah,  nor 
David,  nor  Solomon,  the  only  men  who  had  gone 
astray.  They  were,  after  all,  picked  men ;  while 
around  and  beneath  them  was  a  mass  of  the  degraded 
and  corrupt.  Those  were  passed  by,  while  the  faults 
of  these  men,  ancestors  of  Christ,  were  carefully  re- 
corded. Then  there  opened  before  me  what  seemed 
a  new  range  of  thought.  The  Romanists  have  been 
trying  to  get  the  human  nature  of  Christ  as  far  away 
from  our  humanity  as  possible,  and  hence  have 
taught  the  immaculate  conception  of  Mary.  Not  so 
with  the  Scriptures.  They  show  that  on  his  human 
side  Jesus  was  the  descendant  of  ancestors  no  better 
than  other  men  ;  that  among  these  ancestors  were 
those  who  had  been  guilty  of  every  vice  and  crime 
possible  to  humanity  ;  that  the  blood  which  from  the 
human  side  coursed  through  his  veins  had  come 
down  for  centuries  through  the  vilest  of  the  vile. 
Yet  in  that  humanity  he  had  dwelt ;  his  presence 
made  and  kept  it  pure  and  holy.  And  that  human- 
ity, thus  representing  the  whole  race,  he  has  exalted 
to  the  highest  heavens.  Then  came  to  my  heart  the 
consoling  thought,  What  if  I  have  hereditary  tend- 
encies .-*  what  if  my  nature  has  been  derived  from 


Errors  of  Disciples.  107 

sinning  ancestors  ?  That  Jesus  who  dwelt  in  a  human 
frame  eighteen  hundred  years  ago  can  dwell  in  my 
humanity,  and  can  make  and  keep  it  pure.  Then  I 
thought  of  his  wonderful  condescension,  and  I  read 
with  new  light  that  passage :  "  For  what  the  law 
could  not  do,  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the  flesh, 
God,  sending  his  own  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful 
flesh,  and  for  sin,  condemned  sin  in  the  flesh."  This 
view  has  seemed  to  bring  the  Saviour  nearer  to  me 
than  ever  before.  He  is  the  Son  of  Man,  and  as 
such  he  not  only  knows  our  weaknesses,  but  as  our 
great  High-priest  he  is  "  touched  with  the  feeling  of 
our  infirmities,"  and  "  was  in  all  points  tempted  like 
as  we  are,  yet  without  sin."  How  logically  and  how 
beautifully  the  exhortation  follows  :  "  Let  us  there- 
fore come  boldly  unto  the  throne  of  grace,  that  we 
may  obtain  mercy  and  find  grace  to  help  in  time  of 
need." 

I  must  leave  this  for  such  limitations  and  cautions 
as  the  subject  naturally  suggests.  I  have  used  it 
merely  as  an  illustration  of  how  you  may  use  the 
Bible  for  yourselves,  and  what  comfort  you  may  draw 
from  even  its  apparently  useless  and  darkest  passages. 
The  same  thought  leads  me  to  Peter  and  Judas.  I 
am  not  glad  that  any  man  ever  did  wrong ;  but  I  am 
glad  that,  since  Peter  cursed  and  swore  and  denied 
his  Master,  it  is  recorded  of  him  ;  and  that  the  awful 
betrayal  of  his  Master,  and  his  terrible  end,  are  re- 
curded  of  Judas.     I  am  glad  because  if  Peter,  not- 


io8  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

withstanding  his  error,  was  recalled  to  his  Master's 
favor,  so  may  even  I,  if  erring,  be  brought  back  and 
employed  in  my  Master's  service.  The  fact  that  the 
eleven  apostles  went  forward  boldly  preaching,  not- 
withstanding the  wickedness  of  Judas,  encourages  us 
to  go  forward,  notwithstanding  a  brother  minister 
may  have  fallen  by  our  side.  I  remember,  when  a 
young  pastor,  how  some  case  of  scandal  distressed 
me  exceedingly,  and  I  feared  lest  the  standing  and 
influence  of  the  Church  might  be  destroyed.  But 
when  I  remembered  that  one  in  twelve  of  the  disci- 
ples whom  Jesus  had  chosen  committed  such  a  ter- 
rible crime,  and  yet  the  Church  stood,  and  in  fifty 
days  added  three  thousand  converts,  I  felt  there  could 
be  no  danger  of  the  Church  being  now  overthrown  by 
the  folly  or  wickedness  of  one  of  its  members. 

I  believe  there  is  no  part  of  the  Scriptures  which 
may  not  be  made  profitable  to  the  Christian  mind  ; 
that  every  single  part  of  it  was  given  for  our  edifica- 
tion. I  have  no  sympathy  whatever  with  that  spirit 
which  finds  myths  and  mixtures  in  the  word  of  God. 
I  do  not  underrate  true  criticism.  It  is  exceedingly 
important  to  determine  the  genuineness  and  authen- 
ticity of  the  text.  I  appreciate  highly  the  labors  of 
such  scholars  as  Griesbach  and  Alford  ;  but  when 
they  have  determined  for  me  what  the  true  text  is,  I 
accept  it  in  my  heart  of  hearts  as  the  word  of  God. 
Adopt  no  theory  of  inspiration  which  diminishes 
your  reverence  for  the  Bible  as  the  expression  of  the 


Range  of  Bible  Truth.  109 

thoughts  and  will  of  the  Almighty.  '  By  whomsoever 
he  speaks,  howsoever  he  speaks,  whosesoever  lan- 
guage, memory,  and  imagination  he  may  have  em- 
ployed, the  revelation  is  all  his  own.  I  heard  Cardinal 
Manning  once  in  London  claim  a  superiority  in  this 
respect  for  Romanism  over  Protestantism.  He  said, 
in  substance,  that  the  Protestant  clergy  dissected  the 
Bible,  found  a  myth  here  and  an  interpolation  there, 
and  accepted  only  what  seemed  to  them  in  accord- 
ance with  their  feeble  reason.  "  But,"  said  he,  "  show 
me  a  Catholic  priest  in  the  kingdom  who  shall  dare 
to  call  in  question  the  authority  of  a  single  text,  and 
he  shall  not  be  a  priest  for  six  hours."  The  way 
some  of  the  bibhcal  critics  discuss  the  Bible  recalls 
to  my  mind  a  reported  saying  of  President  Grant. 
Some  one  mentioned  to  him  that  a  certain  Senator, 
who  was  charged  with  being  egotistic,  had  not  much 
faith  in  the  Bible  ;  his  laconic  reply  was,  "  Why  should 
he  .''  he  didn't  write  it." 

The  Bible  has  this  great  characteristic — no  man  is 
able  to  comprehend  and  embrace  all  its  truth.  Minds 
of  different  perception  and  structure  see  such  parts 
of  it  as  are  specially  applicable  to  their  temperaments 
and  their  wants.  It  is  studied  to-day  for  chronology, 
to-morrow  for  history  ;  now  for  its  prophetic  imagery, 
and  then  for  its  precious  promises.  But  while  no 
man  can  comprehend  the  whole,  each  can  find  what 
is  amply  sufficient  for  himself  It  has  something  in 
it  for  men  of  all  classes  and  for  men  of  all  conditions. 


no  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

The  preacher,  like  Ezra  of  old,  reads  in  the  book  of 
the  law,  and  gives  the  sense  ;  he  translates  its  orien- 
talism into  western  phrase,  its  tense  of  the  past  into 
the  present,  and  reveals  to  the  audience  not  merely 
its  words,  but  the  influence  it  has  exercised  upon  his 
own  nature.  He  searches  its  pages  to  find  some- 
thing for  every  form  of  Christian  experience,  and  to 
comfort  some  sorrowing  heart  with  "  Thus  saith  the 
Lord."  It  is  a  perpetual  fountain,  from  which  issues 
the  water  of  life  ;  it  is  an  armory,  from  which  the 
Christian  soldier  is  equipped  for  combat.  We  are 
under  orders — marching  orders  ;  we  have  received 
our  instructions  from  the  General-in-chief.  Shall  we 
not  read  every  line,  and  study  the  meaning  of  every 
word  .''  They  are  orders  for  ourselves  personally,  and 
orders  for  our  congregations  ;  orders  for  to-day,  and 
orders  for  to-morrow.  The  more  frequently  they  are 
read,  the  better  they  are  understood,  the  more  easily 
and  perfectly  they  can  be  obeyed. 

The  New  Testament  is  peculiarly  rich  in  its  pre- 
cious promises,  yet  it  is  in  great  measure  an  expan- 
sion of  the  Old.  The  titles  of  Christ  were  given  him 
in  prophecy.  His  woik  was  typified  and  his  vicari- 
ous death  foreshadowed  in  sacrifices,  Every-where  a 
line  of  illustration  runs  through  the  Old  Testament 
which  is  more  perfectly  developed  in  the  New,  like 
the  plant  which  thrusts  its  roots  deep  into  the  soil, 
but  unfolds  its  blossoms  in  the  sunshine  and  air. 
There    are    threads    of   gold    running    through    the 


TJic  Divine  Logos.  ill 

entire  warp,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  ;  there 
are  clasps  which  bind  together  Genesis  and  Revela- 
tion. 

Take  the  first  verse  in  St.  John's  Gospel,  "  In  the 
beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God, 
and  the  Word  was  God,"  and  to  me  it  points  directly  to 
the  garden  of  Eden  and  the  creation  of  the  world.  The 
beginning  is  the  same.  On  our  parents  in  Eden  there 
came  down  a  cloud  of  darkness,  a  pressing  burden  of 
wretchedness  and  woe.  Eden's  gates  were  to  be 
closed,  and  cherubim  were  to  guard  the  entrance. 
Into  this  thick  darkness  one  ray  of  light  pierced 
from  the  throne  of  God.  In  the  dumb  astonish- 
ment of  all  nature  one  word,  one  promise  of  hope, 
reached  the  human  ear.  That  word  was  spoken  to 
the  serpent,  but  Eve  heard  it :  "I  will  put  enmity 
between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  between  thy  seed 
and  her  seed  :  it  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt 
bruise  his  heel."  Without  that  word,  that  promise 
of  a  Redeemer,  earth  had  been  without  comfort,  life 
without  hope.  That  word  Eve  hid  in  her  heart. 
When  she  drew  to  her  bosom  her  first-born  son,  I 
fancy  she  thought  that  promised  seed  had  come  ;  and 
she  called  hira  Cain,  for  she  said,  "  I  have  gotten  a 
man  from  the  Lord,"  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  rendered, 
"///<?  man  from  the  Lord" — the  One  who  was  to 
bruise  the  serpent's  head  and  re-open  the  gates  of 
paradise.  How  sad  her  heart,  when  her  hopes  were 
disappointed,  and  his   hands   were  stained  with  his 


112  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

brother's  blood  !  Child  afier  child  was  born,  chil- 
dren's children  grew  to  maturity,  generation  after' 
generation  rose  around  her,  but  society  grew  worse, 
and  no  Redeemer  came.  For  nine  hundred  and  thirty 
years  Adam  looked  and  watched  and  waited,  but  no 
conquering  Messiah  appeared.  Yet  that  promise  of 
hope  was  handed  down  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion ;  it  was  God's  word  that  a  Deliverer  should  come. 
The  ages  rolled  on.  In  the  midst  of  prevailing  dark- 
ness there  came  a  ray  of  light  to  Enoch,  and  he 
prophesied,  saying  :  "  Behold,  the  Lord  cometh."  The 
earth  was  swept  with  water,  and  the  nations  waited 
century  af'er  century,  the  one  great  word  of  God 
standing  as  the  only  light  for  human  faith  and  hope. 
The  promise  was  repeated  to  Abraham  and  to  the 
patriarchs ;  light  shone  on  the  mountain  top  of 
prophecy,  and  the  glimpses  were  seen  of  a  coming 
Saviour,  whose  voice  whispered,  "Lo,  I  come  to  do 
thy  will,  O  God."  To  me  this  is  the  one  word  of 
life  and  hope  that,  while  generations  passed  like  grass, 
endured  forever.  It  filled  the  mind  of  the  apostle  as 
he  gazed  on  an  incarnate  Saviour,  and  exclaimed  : 
"  The  Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us, 
and  we  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  be- 
gotten of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth."  This 
was  the  Word,  the  Logos  alike  of  the  Old  Testament 
and  of  the  New,  promised  in  Eden,  manifested  in 
Bethlehem,  announced  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord  to 
the  wondering  shepherds  as  "  good  tidings  of  great 


The  Dn'iiie  Logos.  1 13 

joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people."  Then  follows  that 
beautiful  declaration  :  "  Suddenly  there  was  with  the 
angel  a  multitude,"  not  of  angels,  but  "  of  the  heav- 
enly host,  praising  God,  and  saying.  Glory  to  God  in 
the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good-will  toward 
men."  As  Miriam  led  the  songs  of  the  daughters  cf 
Israel  at  the  triumphant  passage  of  the  Red  Sea — 
more  than  eighty  years  old  though  she  was — so  it 
has  seemed  to  me  that  Eve,  the  mother  of  us  all,  led 
the  raptures  of  that  heavenly  host,  as,  after  four 
thousand  years  of  waiting,  she  saw  in  Bethlehem  the 
appearance  of  the  promised  Redeemer.  No  marvel 
the  burst  of  the  song  was  "  Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest  !  "  and  then,  as  memory  glanced  to  the  death  of 
Abel,  and  all  the  wars  and  strifes  of  earth,  it  was 
added — "  On  earth  peace,  good-will  toward  men." 

In  the  Book  of  Revelation,  when  the  predicted 
victory  has  been  accomplished,  the  Conqueror  appears, 
and  is  called  "  Faithful  and  True."  He  had  bruised 
the  head  of  the  serpent,  and  it  was  added^"  He  was 
clothed  with  a  vesture  dipped  in  blood  :  and  his  name 
was  called  The  Word  of  God." 

I  cannot  help  turning  away,  with  a  sense  of  relief, 
from  the  interpretation  that  makes  the  apostle  that 
leaned  on  Jesus'  breast  seek  among  the  philosophy  of 
the  Gnostics  for  that  Logos  or  Word,  the  shadow  of 
which  they  had  learned  from  tradition,  while  the  sub- 
stance itself  shone  from  the  holy  Scriptures  in  the 
promises  made  by  the  Father. 


114  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

In  addition  to  the  study  of  the  holy  Scriptures, 
with  all  accompanying  helps,  we  should  have  a  clear 
and  decided  conviction  as  to  the  great  doctrines  of 
the  Bible,  and  their  relation  each  to  the  other.  The 
student  should  examine  carefully  the  views  held  by 
leading  minds  in  reference  to  these  doctrines  ;  should 
compare  them  carefully  and  prayerfully  with  the 
holy  Scriptures  ;  and  should  adopt  such  views  as  he 
believes  are  clearly  derived  from  the  word  of  God. 
He  should  be  so  independent  in  thought  as  to  ex- 
amine for  himself  every  creed,  or  confession,  or  sys- 
tem, and  not  to  receive  it  simply  on  the  authoiity  of 
tradition,  or  of  antiquity,  or  of  leading  minds.  The 
Bible,  and  the  Bible  alone,  is  the  ultimate  standard 
of  reference.  "  To  the  law  and  to  the  testimony  :  if 
they  speak  not  according  to  this  word,  it  is  because 
there  is  no  light  in  them."  At  the  same  time  he 
should  give  due  regard  to  the  opinions  of  wise  men, 
and  weigh  them  carefully ;  he  should  regard  as 
worthy  of  the  most  serious  consideration  the  utter- 
ances of  the  Church  through  the  various  ages,  and 
the  systematized  and  formulated  doctrines  which 
have  guided  the  Church  amid  hours  of  danger  and 
darkness,  and  to  which  good  men  have  clung  with 
the  conviction  that  they  were  the  truth  from  God. 
The  presumption  is  always  in  their  favor,  and  they 
should  not  be  set  aside  without  the  fullest  investiga- 
tion and  the  clearest  conviction.  Some  young  min- 
isters there  are  with  whom  it  seems  to  be  proof  suf- 


Heresies  Revived.  115 

ficient  that  doctrines  are  wrong  because  they  were 
held  by  the  Church  in  other  ages.  They  are  so  filled 
with  the  thought  of  the  progress  of  to-day  that  they 
fancy  all  that  is  old  must  be  untrue.  They  feel  them- 
selves fitted  for  reformers  ;  they  are  to  renovate  so- 
ciety and  usher  in  a  glorious  age  ;  their  business  is  to 
reject  all  which  society  believes,  and,  under  the  claim 
of  independence,  strike  out  into  new  and  unexplored 
paths.  Such  young  men  forget,  or,  rather,  possibly 
they  never  knew,  that  the  heresies  which  they  in- 
trude upon  the  Church  are  but  the  rubbish  and  drift- 
wood rejected  by  the  master  builders  of  old,  and 
which  have  remained  for  centuries  so  worthless  as 
to  be  forgotten.  Under  the  boast  of  the  new,  they 
are  simply  championing  the  exploded  of  the  old.  In 
theology  there  can  be  no  new  doctrine,  for  the  foun- 
dation is  in  the  Bible  alone.  There  may  be  new 
turns  of  thought,  more  fitting  expressions,  more  per- 
tinent illustrations,  and  even  unperceived  duties  and 
meanings  may  be  found  in  the  sacred  page,  but  the 
radical,  fundamental  doctrines  are  the  same  ;  they 
are  like  the.  blessed  Saviour  himself,  "  The  same  yes- 
terday, to-day,  and  forever."  Even  the  varying 
views  in  reference  to  doctrines  have  been  so  thor- 
oughly discussed  by  the  different  schools  of  thought, 
that  no  unexplored  territory  is  very  likely  to  be 
found.  Still,  I  would  not  repress  investigation  ;  I 
simply  decline  to  leave  the  beaten  turnpike,  on  which 
men    have    trodden  for  a  thousand  years,  for  a  new 


ii6  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

pathway  which  some  explorer  has  marked  out  through 
the  woods,  until  I  am  assured  it  is  more  direct,  or 
better  fitted  for  travel. 

I  have  nothing  to  say  as  to  the  system  of  doctrines 
which  you  accept  or  believe,  but  I  urge  you  to  be 
men  of  conviction.     Give  yourselves  no  rest   until 
you  find    the  truth  as  revealed  to  you  ;  then  believe 
it,  and  believe  it  with  all  your  hearts.     Around  these 
fundamental  truths  passages  of  Scripture  will  form, 
until,  under  the  law  of  mental  crystallization,  they 
shall  be  as  pure  crystals,  polished  by  no  human  hand, 
and   reflecting  the  light  of  God.     Unless  you  have 
firm  convictions  as  to   what   the  Scripture    teaches, 
you  are  not  fitted  for  leaders.     Your  trumpet  should 
give  no  uncertain   sound  ;  you   should   know  of  the 
doctrines,  whether  they  be  of  God.     It  is  not  your 
office  to  stand  in  the  pulpit  and  express  doubts.     If 
you  have  any,  let  them  be  cleared  away  before  you 
speak ;  for  you   come   to    bear,    not    a    message    of 
doubts,  but  a  message  from  the  Lord.     Christ,  your 
gieat  model,  spake  as  one  having  authority,  and  not 
as  the  scribes.     Christ  never  uttered  a  doubt  in  his 
teaching  :  it  was  positive  in  its  character.     The  dis- 
ciples never  uttered  doubt,  but  spake  the  word  of  the 
Lord  with  all  boldness.     You  owe  this  to  your  con- 
gregations, who  look  to  you  for  instruction  and  guid- 
ance.    You  owe  it  to  yourselves,  for  without  it  your 
power   will  be  frittered  away.      Men    of  force   say, 
"  We  believe,  and  therefore  speak."     Whoever  reads 


Divinity  of  CJirist.  11/ 

the  epistles  with  care  will  notice  their  strong,  posi- 
tive utterances.  Where  there  is  doubt  there  is  dim- 
ness and  hesitation,  sharp  lines  of  definition  are 
lacking,  and  clear  presentation  is  unknown.  Men 
talk  around  and  around  a  subject  without  piercing 
directly  to  its  essence  and  marrow. 

Among  the  doctrines  which  should  be  presented  |  V^V* 
most  clearly  and  strongly,  and  on  which  the  young 
minister  should  be  thoroughly  prepared,  I  name,  first, 
the  divinity  of  Christ.  I  pass  by  any  remarks  on  the 
being  or  attributes  of  God.  These  are  so  clearly 
stated,  so  fully  believed  by  people  generally,  as  to  be 
considered  universally  accepted.  Here  and  there  an 
erratic  being  may  arise  who  doubts  or  denies.  [Oc-  ' 
casional  sermons  may  be  preached  on  such  topics, 
but  I  believe  the  head  is  seldom  at  fault  so  much  as 
the  heart.  If  it  be  true  that  with  the  heart  man 
believeth  unto  righteousness,  I  believe  it  is  also  true 
that  out  of  the  heart  proceed  all  evil  thoughts,  among 
which  infidelity  and  atheism  are  occasionally  found. 

The  divinity  of  Christ  is,  as  I  believe,  the  articulus 
stantis  vel  cadentis  ccclesics,  rather  than  that  of  justifi- 
cation. The  latter  has  its  foundation  in  the  former ; 
and  in  Luther's  time  the  former  was  scarcely  called  in 
question.  The  history  of  the  Church  in  all  ages 
shows  that  the  men  who  reformed  the  world  drew 
their  power  from  the  inspiration  of  this  doctrine.  No 
Church  has  ever  conquered  the  heathenism  of  the 
world,  or  carried  its  light  permanently  into  the  dark 


iiS  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

places  of  the  earth,  or  has  been  distinguished  for 
bringing  back  the  prodigal,  or  saving  the  outcasts, 
but  by  the  exaltation  of  the  cross  of  the  divine  Sav- 
iour. It  was  on  this  confession  of  his  divinity,  that 
lie  promised  that  his  Church  should  stand.  When 
he  asked  his  disciples  their  opinion  as  to  his  charac- 
ter, and  when  Peter  said,  "Thou  art  the  Christ,  the 
Soti  of  the  living  God,"  the  reply  was  made,  "  Upon 
this  rock  I  will  build  my  Church  ;  and  the  gates  of 
hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it."  He  had  taught  his 
disciples  to  call  no  man  master,  yet  he  said  to  them, 
"  Ye  call  me  Master  and  Lord  ;  and  ye  say  well ;  for 
so  I  am."  The  true  Church  ever  stands  in  the  same 
attitude,  and  looks  up  to  Christ  as  its  divine  Lord 
and  Master.  I  do  not  say  that  you  must  preach  this 
controversially,  but  preach  it  prominently  ;  assume  it 
and  declare  it  as  it  is  taught  in  the  holy  Scripture. 
I  do  not  advise  you  to  spend  your  time  upon  c|ues- 
tions  of  subtilty.  There  are  mysteries  in  the  mode 
of  the  divine  existence  beyond  the  reach  of  our  con- 
ceptions ;  for  the  infinite  cannot  be  measured  or 
fathomed  by  the  finite.  How  it  may  be  with  others 
I  cannot  say,  but  on  this-^subject  analogies,  illustra- 
tions, and  reasoning  have  never  afforded  me  full  sat- 
isfaction. I  could  meet  objectors  with  them  ;  I  could 
silence  cavilers  ;  but  I  rest  solely  on  the  word  of  God 
as  the  foundation  of  my  faith. 

The  depravity  of  the  human  heart,  the  inherited 
tendency  to  go  wrong,  are  so  fully  shown,  by  both 


Doctrinal  Preaching.  1 19 

observation  and  experience,  that  it  would  seem  as 
though  there  ought  to  be  no  difference  of  opinion  as 
to  the  fact.  I  think  all  men  every- where  have  pretty- 
fully  believed  that  in  otJier  men  the  human  heart  is 
"  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked." 
There  may  be  differences  in  speculation  as  to  how 
that  depravity  comes,  to  what  extent  it  reaches,  and 
how  it  may  be  removed  ;  but  unless  man  is  so  de- 
praved he  needs  no  Saviour.  But  if  that  depravity 
inheres  in  his  very  nature  he  needs  a  divine  Saviour 
who  can  create  him  anew.  To  man  thus  sunk  in 
guilt,  the  doctrine  is  preached  of  an  atoning  Saviour 
Vv'ho  died  in  his  stead,  who  magnified  the  law  and 
made  it  honorable,  and  who  made  it  possible  for  God 
to  "  be  just,  and  yet  the  justifier  of  him  which  believ- 
eth  in  Jesus."  These  are  to  me  the  cardinal  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel — a  divine  Saviour  making  an  atone- 
ment for  sinful  man,  and  thereby  restoring  him  to 
the  divine  favor.  On  these  doctrines,  and  their  col- 
laterals, every  young  minister  should  gather  such 
Scripture  proofs  and  arguments  and  illustrations  as 
shall  make  his  Gospel  glad  tidings  to  the  sons  of 
men. 

I  am  aware  that  among  many  there  is  an  aversion 
to  doctrinal  preaching  ;  but  the  injunction  of  the 
apostle  to  Timothy  was  :  "  Take  heed  unto  thyself,  and 
unto  the  doctrine;  for  in  doing  this  thou  shalt  bot"h 
save  thyself,  and  them  that  hear  thee."  Again  :  "  Re- 
prove, rebuke,  exhort,  with  all  long-suffering  and  doc- 


I20  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

trine.  For  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  not 
endure  sound  doctrine ;  but  after  their  own  lusts 
shall  they  heap  to  themselves  teachers,  having  itch- 
ing ears  ;  and  they  shall  turn  away  their  ears  from 
the  truth,  and  shall  be  turned  unto  fables."  The  dis- 
position to  avoid  the  examination  and  the  preaching 
of  doctrine  almost  inevitably  leads  to  fables,  and  fool- 
ish and  unlearned  questions.  By  studying  doctrines 
carefully,  however,  I  do  not  mean  that  they  should 
be  set  forth  in  a  controversial  manner,  but  be  taught 
as  the  teacher  would  instruct  his  class  in  algebra  or 
geometry,  giving  them  positive  views,  as  though  no 
others  had  ever  been  taught. 

Prominent,  also,  among  these  teachings  must  be 
the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Through  its  in- 
fluence alone  all  good  begins  in  man.  It  is  the  agent 
of  our  awakening,  justification,  and  sanctification  ; 
and  without  its  precious  influence  there  could  be  no 
hope  and  no  life  for  our  world.  The  doctrines  of  the 
immortality  of  the  soul,  of  the  resurrection  of  the 
body,  and  of  future  rewards  and  punishment,  should 
also  be  distinctly  set  forth,  and  given  such  promi- 
nence as  we  are  taught  in  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

The  study  of  Church  history  should,  also,  claim  a 
minister's  attention.  I  wish  there  was  some  work 
on  this  subject  which  gave  the  true  life  of  the  Church, 
and  was  not  so  much  occupied  with  discussions  as  to 
heresy  and  orthodoxy,  and  the  lives  of  a  few  of  the 
leaders.     Published  sermons  may,  also,  be  highly  scrv- 


Collecting  Materials.  I2I 

iceable,  that  the  young  minister  may  gain  a  view 
of  the  matter  and  manner  which  distinguished  those 
ministers  who  have  been  most  successful  and  useful. 
He  should  read  them,  not  to  copy  or  imitate,  but  to 
find  suggestions  and  inspiration,  which  may  add  to 
the  breadth  of  his  views  and  to  the  facility  with 
which  he  may  perform  his  work.  I  should  recom- 
mend, however,  that  the  reading  be  confined  to  the 
sermons  of  the  great  masters. 

These  materials  thus  collected  should  be  thorough- 
ly digested ;  they  should  be  transformed  and  trans- 
muted into  one's  own  current  of  thought.  In  this 
way  the  individual's  performance  will  be  original  in 
its  character  and  in  its  structure,  and  will  be  enriched 
with  thoughls  and  illustrations  of  beauty  and  grand- 
eur which  shall  give  to  it  a  higher  character  and 
greater  force.  This  will  not  be  plagiarism,  for  it  is 
not  the  simple  use  or  quotation  of  another  man's 
work,  but,  like  the  stream  whose  volume  is  swollen 
by  every  little  rill,  it  will  hurry  onward  in  its  own 
channel,  making  its  own  music  as  it  flows.  We  coin 
few  new  words.  The  greatest  inventors  create  no 
materials  ;  they  simply  place  in  new  relations  what 
have  been  already  known. 

Various  plans  are  pursued  in  collecting  and  pre- 
serving materials.  The  use  of  scrap-books  and  com- 
monplace-books cannot  be  too  earnestly  commended 
for  preserving  such  items  as  may  come  under  your 
notice,  and  for  which  you  may  have  need  of  ready 


122  Lectures  on  Preaching 

reference.  In  reading,  it  is  well  to  have  a  pencil  in 
hand  and  a  note-book  convenient,  not  only  for  the 
sake  of  quotations  or  for  marks  of  reference,  but, 
what  is  still  more  valuable,  to  preserve  the  thoughts 
which  are  suggested  to  your  own  minds  rather  than 
stated  by  the  author. 

As  an  element  of  preparation  the  pen  should  be 
freely  used.  I  speak  not  now  of  the  question  of 
written  or  extemporaneous  sermons,  but  of  that  facil- 
ity in  writing  which  a  minister  should  possess.  This 
liabit  is  absolutely  essential.  You  should  write  much, 
and  strive  to  write  well ;  yet,  first,  write  much.  All 
nature  is  luxuriant  in  infancy.  What  an  immense 
number  of  leaves  crowd  each  other  and  fall  away  ! 
What  a  profusion  of  buds  and  flowers — ten  times 
more  than  any  tree  can  develop  in  fruit !  So  it  is 
with  the  young  writer — write  first,  trim  afterward  ; 
pour  out  your  thoughts  as  they  occur,  even  should 
their  order  not  be  the  most  harmonious  or  the  con- 
nection the  most  perfect.  The  more  rapidly  you 
write,  the  more  naturally.  The  great  difficulty  with 
many  is  that  their  ideal  is  so  high,  their  standard  so 
perfect,  that  they  fear  to  write  at  all.  They  com- 
mence, and  are  discouraged.  While  correcting  one 
sentence  they  lose  tlie  glow  which  would  have  given 
warmth  and  beauty  to  the  next.  Write  much,  if 
you  only  write  letters  or  articles  for  the  daily  or 
weekly  press.  Write  frequently  on  theological  topics, 
and  occasionally  write  sermons — whether  you  deliver 


Range  of  Studies.  123 

them  or  not — for  the  purpose  of  securing  suitable 
form  and  length,  and  the  proper  relation  of  the  va- 
rious parts. 

The  studies  of  a  minister  should  not  be  confined 
exclusively  to  theological  reading.  He  should,  as 
opportunity  serves,  make  himself  master,  as  far  as 
may  be,  of  the  general  principles  of  every  valuable 
science,  especially  of  mental  philosophy.  He  should 
also  love  to  roam  throughout  nature.  Every-where 
there  are  marks  of  his  Father's  hand.  The  rocks  of 
the  earth,  the  plants  and  animals  of  its  surface,  the 
currents  of  the  sea  and  of  the  air,  and  the  great 
globes  that  move  through  space — all  display  the  wis- 
dom and  power  of  the  great  Creator.  The  minute 
as  well  as  the  vast  may  furnish  lessons  of  value,  and 
illustrations  which  will  both  interest  and  profit.  A 
minister  should,  as  far  as  practicable,  intermeddle 
with  all  wisdom,  yet  so  as  ever  to  keep  Christ  as  the 
great  central  figure.  He  should  also  keep  in  view 
the  work  which  he  is  performing — the  erection  of  a 
great  spiritual  edifice.  All  subsidiary  knowledge  is 
but  as  the  scafiblding. 

The  range  of  knowledge  is  so  wide,  the  wants  of  1 
congregations  so  varied,  and  the  current  of  public 
opinion  so  changeable,  that  every  department  of  lit-  ; 
erature  and  science  may  become  tributary  to  the 
preacher's  influence.  In  my  childhood  and  youth  I 
had  a  constant  passion  for  study.  To  some  extent  I 
examined  the  chief    languages  of  western   Europe. 


124  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

It  was  with  me  a  simple  curiosity  ;  but  I  have  since 
found  that  every  branch  of  study  has  come  to  my  aid. 
It  has  been  my  lot  to  hold  conferences  or  ministerial 
meetings  in  all  those  countries  whose  languages  I  had 
studied.  I  was  not  able  to  talk  to  any  extent  in  those 
languages,  but  I  read  them,  and  could  soon  under- 
stand the  deliberations  of  my  brethren. 

In  keeping  abreast  of  the  day  it  is  not  best  to  spend 
too  much  time  on  the  daily  press  or  the  lighter  class 
of  magazines.  It  is  one  of  the  triumphs  of  Christian 
civilization  that  we  can  have  news  at  our  breakfast- 
table  from  all  parts  of  the  globe  ;  but  the  daily  press 
is  not  of  itself  an  unmixed  benefit— it  tempts  the  stu- 
dent to  dissipation  of  thought,  and  oftentimes  his 
morning  hours  wear  rapidly  away  while  he  is  reading 
matters  which  interest  him,  but  which  are  not  essen- 
tial to  his  important  work.  Like  the  bee,  he  should 
know  how  in  a  few  moments  to  extract  the  honey 
from  the  flower,  and  then  fly  on,  without  stopping  to 
count  the  number  of  the  petals,  or  to  dwell  on  the 
beauty  of  the  coloring.  He  should  be  like  the  busi- 
ness man  who  rapidly  glances  over  the  most  impor- 
tant items,  and  then  confines  himself  to  the  duties  of 
his  counting-room  or  office.  In  scientific  and  theo- 
logical reviews  there  are  frequently  articles  of  great 
value,  which  the  preacher  cannot  too  carefully  read 
and  ponder  ;  but  while  he  is  interested  in  the  lighter 
reviews,  and  pleased  with  the  style  and  structure  of 
articles,  he  is  very  liable  thus  to  spend  his  moments, 


Subjects  for  Sermons.  125 

which  ought  to  be  devoted  to  more  solid  reading  or  to 
pastoral  duties. 

Still,  it  is  difficult  to  fix  any  precise  rule  on  this 
subject.  The  times  breathe  a  free  spirit.  A  wide 
range  of  topics  is  discussed  in  the  daily  press.  Among 
the  masses  there  are  minds  stirred  with  thoughts  of 
great  value.  The  preacher  must  not  un frequently 
grapple  with  specious  forms  of  error  which  are  prev- 
alent among  the  people  ;  he  must  understand  the 
arguments  which  are  employed  to  sustain  them,  and 
which  captivate  so  many.  The  more  thoroughly  peo- 
ple find  him  posted  in  matters  of  interest  to  them, 
the  greater  will  be  his  influence  over  them  ;  yet  that 
influence  will  be  of  little  value  unless  it  helps  him  to 
draw  them  to  the  Saviour. 

The  subjects  for  preaching  cover  an  immense 
realm,  and  only  a  glance  can  be  cast  over  them. 
Negatively,  the  object  of  the  pulpit  is  not  simply  to 
teach  or  enforce  morality  from  any  heathen  or  natu- 
ral stand-point  ;  it  will  teach  a  high  and  pure  moral- 
ity, but  it  will  present  it  as  the  issues  from  a  heart 
changed  and  purified,  and  filled  with  love  to  God 
and  man.  Morality  that  springs  not  from  the  heart 
is  like  a  tree  from  which  the  limbs  that  bear  bad 
fruit  are  pruned  and  cast  away.  Christian  morality 
is  the  life  of  a  young  tree,  permeating  every  limb  and 
twig,  and  producing  beautiful  flowers  and  healthy 
fruit.  The  tree  itself  must  be  changed  in  its  nature. 
"  A  good  tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit,  neither  can 


126  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

a  corrupt  tree  bring  forth  good  fruit."  Nor  is  the 
object  of  preaching  the  correction  of  mind  by  the 
explanation  of  its  laws.  No  amount  of  knowledge 
of  metaphysics  can  change  the  human  heart.  The 
knowledge  of  njachinery  will  not  correct  'ts  errors  or 
set  it  in  motion.  Nor  is  the  great  theme  of  the  min- 
istry to  be  natural  religion.  Motives  of  value  and 
power  may  be  drawn  from  nature.  Men  may  be 
taught  the  influence  and  results  of  their  actions  ;  but 
neither  these  nor  the  voice  of  nature  have  power  to 
change  the  currents  of  the  human  soul.  Much  less 
should  the  minister  preach  himself.  The  pulpit  is 
the  place  for  the  Master.  The  teacher  utters  divine 
thoughts,  and  he  who  brings  himself,  in  the  form  of 
supposed  argument,  oratory,  or  rhetoric,  for  personal 
exhibition,  degrades  and  pollutes  the  sacred  desk. 
Luther  said  :  "  I  myself  know  nothing  of  Luther,  will 
know  nothing  of  him.  I  preach  nothing  of  him,  only 
Christ.  The  devil  may  take  Luther,  (if  he  can.)  If 
he  leave  Christ  in  place,  it  will  be  well  with  us, 
too." 

The  great  question  for  the  pulpit  to  ask  is  that 
propounded  by  the  Master  himself,  "  What  think  ye  of 
Christ  .-*"  and  the  answer  which  it  gives  to  the  world, 
which  still  echoes  the  question,  must  be  a  clear  ex- 
position, not  only  of  his  character,  but  of  "that  char- 
acter as  manifested  in  the  salvation  of  men.  When 
John  sent  to  ask  questions  concerning  Christ,  instead 
of  answering  them  directly,  he  appealed  only  to  his 


Great  Themes.  127 

wonderful  works,  which  proved  him  to  be  the  Son  of 
God. 

The  minister  should  grapple  with  great  themes, 
and  not  occupy  the  time  of  the  people  with  trivial 
subjects.  The  interests  of  eternity  may,  to  some  in- 
dividuals, rest  on  the  issue  of  a  single  sermon  ;  and 
in  some  form,  directly  or  indirectly,  every  sermon 
should  lead  to  Christ.  With  what  wonderful  topics 
is  the  pulpit  permitted  to  deal !  The  character  of 
God,  in  his  omnipotence,  omniscience,  and  omnipres- 
ence ;  the  responsibilities  of  man  as  a  creature  of 
God,  formed  by  his  divine  hand,  bearing  the  impress 
of  his  glorious  image,  breathing  of  his  own  breath, 
the  object  of  a  Saviour's  death,  the  possible  Son  of 
God  and  joint  heir  with  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the 
Creator  and  Lord  of  all  ;  his  responsibility,  as  shown 
in  his  domestic  and  social  relations,  in  the  leadership 
of  thought,  the  investigation  of  science,  and  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  world  ; — then,  too,  his  glorious  des- 
tiny ;  his  conflict  with  and  triumph  over  death  and 
the  grave  ;  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  strange  and 
incomprehensible  as  it  may  be,  and  an  immortality 
coeval  with  the  duration  of  God  himself; — then,  too, 
the  thought,  that  his  destiny  is  in  his  own  hands  ;  that, 
accepting  Christ  and  obeying  the  divine  law,  he  may 
dwell  beside  the  throne  of  God  himself,  but  that,  re- 
jecting Christ  and  the  offers  of  mercy,  he  "  shall  be 
punished  with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his  power  ;" — 


128  Lectures  on  Preaching, 

these  are  topics  of  immense  moment,  and  which  in- 
terest every  hearer.  How  pitiable  it  is  to  hear  lead- 
ers of  thought  say  that  they  cannot  tell  whence  they 
came  nor  whither  they  are  going  ;  that  life,  in  its 
origin  and  its  end,  is  wholly  involved  in  mystery,  and 
that  eternity  has  no  voice  which  has  reached  the  sons 
of  time. 

Springing  out  of  these  great  questions  is  the  whole 
circle  of  human  duty.  All  men  are  our  brothers,  be- 
cause we  are  the  offspring  of  a  common  Father.  We 
cannot  deny  or  ignore  that  common  brotherhood,  or 
shrink  from  its  duties,  without  grieving  the  Father 
of  us  all. 

Not  only  must  the  various  topics  of  preaching  be 
carefully  studied  and  selected,  but  the  relation  of 
these  parts  each  to  the  other  is  a  matter  of  no  small 
moment.  The  law  of  God,  in  its  great  and  solemn 
injunctions,  should  be  distinctly  set  forth.  Our  con- 
gregations should  be  gathered  as  around  the  base  of 
Mount  Sinai,  while  from  its  summit  is  heard  the  voice 
of  God  in  those  commandments  which  are  unalterable 
and  eternal  in  their  character.  The  effect  of  these 
utterances  will  be,  that  consciences  will  be  avv'akened 
and  hearts  will  tremble.  Some  will  say,  with  Moses, 
"  I  do  exceedingly  fear  and  quake,"  when  they  behold 
the  majesty  of  the  law,  the  purity  of  God,  and  their 
own  impurity.  Others  may  be  repelled,  and  will  say, 
"  Let  not  God  speak  to  us  any  more."  Some  will 
object  to   the   sternness  of  the   law,  and    will  say. 


Laiv  and  Gospel.  129 

"Prophesy  smooth  things;"  but  still  that  law  must 
be  preached.  It  brings  the  sinner  to  a  recognition 
of  his  sins  in  having  transgressed  God's  holy  law, 
and  shows  him  the  fearfulness  of  the  doom  which  is 
impending  over  him.  The  law  must  be  followed  by 
the  Gospel ;  the  awakened  sinner  must  be  pointed  to 
the  Saviour,  that  he  may  see  and  feel  that,  deep  as 
are  the  stains  of  his  transgressions,  the  blood  of 
Christ  can  wash  them  all  away.  There  are  many 
preachers  who  love  to  dwell  on  the  Gospel  alone. 
They  talk  sweetly  and  beautifully  of  the  fatherhood 
of  God.  This  is  well.  It  is  more  than  well,  it  is 
essential.  But  sometimes  they  go  beyond  this,  and 
declaim  against  the  preaching  of  the  law — intimate 
that  it  belongs  to  a  past  age,  a  less  civilized  society  ; 
that  men  can  best  be  moved  by  love  alone,  and  they 
rely  wholly  on  its  attractive  power.  Such  a  Gospel 
may  rear  a  beautiful  structure  ;  but  its  foundation 
is  on  the  sand.  No  true  edifice  can  be  raised  with- 
out its  foundations  being  dug  deep  by  repentance 
toward  God,  and  then  shall  the  rock  be  reached,  and 
the  building  shall  be  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 
The  law  without  Gospel  is  dark  and  hopeless  ;  the 
Gospel  without  law  is  inefficient  and  powerless. 
The  one  leads  to  servitude,  the  other  to  antinomian- 
ism.  The  two  combined  produce  "  charity  out  of  a 
pure  heart,  and  of  a  good  conscience,  and  of  faith 

unfeigned." 
9 


130  Lectures  on  Preaching. 


LECTURE   V. 

THE  PREPARATION   OF  A  SERMON. 

T  N  the  preparation  of  a  sermon  the  preacher  is 
-■-  brought  face  to  face  with  his  life-work.  In  a 
few  days  the  Sabbath  will  call  him  to  the  pulpit — • 
but  what  shall  he  preach  ?  The  question  seems  to 
stare  at  him  from  every  book  which  he  reads,  and  to 
meet  him  wherever  he  goes.  If  he  has  not  yet  formed 
an  acquaintance  with  bis  congregation,  it  is  not 
strange  that  he  should  be  at  a  loss  what  subject  to 
select.  There  are,  however,  general  subjects  which 
can  never  be  out  of  place.  Repentance  toward  God, 
and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  tlie  duties  of 
prayer  and  holy  living  ;  the  rewards  of  the  righteous 
and  the  fearful  forebodings  of  the  impenitent,  are 
topics  which  maybe  presented  to  any  audience.  But 
if  the  minister  has  formed  the  acquaintance  of  his 
congregation,  out  of  its  peculiar  wants  and  circum- 
stances topics  will  naturally  be  suggested. 

If  a  man  is  in  earnest  in  his  work,  if  he  fully  per- 
ceives the  danger  of  many  in  his  congregation — the 
talents  which  are  unemployed,  the  vices  prevalent  in 
the  community,  the  fascinations  and  allurements 
which  influence  the  young,  the  living  issues  which 


Borrowing  Sermons.  131 

press  on  the  community  around  him — his  head  and 
heart  will  be  so  full  that  the  question  will  not  be  so 
much,  what  can  he  have  to  say,  as  which,  of  the  many 
topics,  shall  be  first  presented.  Just  at  this  point  is 
found  the  clear  distinction  between  the  true  minister, 
whose  heart  is  yearning  for  his  people,  and  who  longs 
to  preach  to  them  the  word  of  life,  and  the  one  who 
simply  fills  the  pulpit  because  the  time  has  arrived, 
and  he  must  somehow  address  his  congregation.  I 
would  not  apply  the  old  adage,  "  When  you  have  noth- 
ing to  say,  say  nothing,"  for  it  is  important  that  the 
regular  services  be  held — that  the  people  sing  and 
pray  and  worship  before  the  Lord  ;  but  I  would  ad- 
vise that  under  such  circumstances  the  service  should 
be  both  simple  and  brief.  Yet  it  so  happens  that 
ministers  who  have  nothing  to  say  usually  take  a 
long  time  in  saying  it. 

If  your  object  be  simply  to  preach  a  sermon  be- 
cause you  have  an  appointment ;  if  God  has  not  given 
you  any  message,  and  you  merely  wish  to  read  a 
beautiful  essay,  so  that  men  shall  say,  "  What  a  fine 
preacher  ! "  or  if  you  have  talents  for  oratory  that  you 
wish  to  display,  then  the  easiest  way  to  get  the  ser- 
mon is  to  borrow  it  from  some  kind  brother.  It  will 
save  you  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and  accomplish  just 
as  much  good.  If  you  cannot  borrow  one  from  a 
neighbor,  then  you  can  buy  one.  They  manufacture 
them  in  England  by  the  quantity,  and  sell  them  at 
ninepence   apiece.       I    do    not   know    whether   any 


132  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

Yankee  house  has  yet  had  sufificient  enterprise  to 
engage  in  this  department  of  business.  If  you  can 
neither  borrow  nor  buy,  then  Paley  comes  to  your 
help  by  suggesting — "  If  you  have  to  preach  every 
Sunday,  make  one  sermon  and  steal  five."  This 
stealing  business,  however,  is  not  always  safe.  Ser- 
mon thieves,  like  other  thieves,  are  sometimes  caught, 
and  are  obliged  to  stand  in  a  pillory.  I  saw  an  inci- 
dent lately  reported  of  a  young  man  who  preached  a 
trial  sermon.  When  the  council  was  called,  and  his 
effort  was  pronounced  to  be  good,  a  minister  rose, 
evidently  burdened,  and  informed  the  council  that  the 
sermon  was  not  the  young  man's  own  ;  that  he  had 
it  in  his  library,  in  a  rare  book,  and  he  did  not  know 
that  there  was  another  copy  in  America.  The  young 
man  was  called  in  to  be  questioned  by  this  minister. 
When  asked  if  it  was  his  own,  he  frankly  said,  "  No  ; " 
that  he  had  heard  that  minister  preach  it  some  time 
before  ;  admiring  it  greatly,  and  not  having  time  to 
prepare,  he  had  concluded  to  preach  it  over.  Report 
does  not  tell  us  what  they  did  with  the  young 
man,  but  the  old  one  asked  no  more  questions.  Se- 
riously, however,  we  have  falsehood  and  fraud  and 
embezzlement  enough  in  the  world,  without  ministers 
entering  into  it ;  and  the  morality  of  the  congrega- 
tion can  scarcely  be  expected  to  be  very  high,  or  the 
people  to  observe  the  laws  of  inciiin  et  timni,  where  a 
minister  steals  his  Sunday  sermons,  and  prays  God's 
blessing  upon  them. 


Choice  of  Subjects.  133 

Is  it,  then,  lawful  ever  to  preach  other  men's  ser- 
mons ?  I  think  it -is  occasionally  ;  but  the  fact  must 
be  stated.  The  minister  may  say,  "  I  have  found 
among  Calvin's  sermons,"  or  Wesley's,  or  Robertson's, 
or  Spurgeon's,  "one  so  suitable  to  our  circumstances, 
and  so  directly  applicable,  that  I  wish  to  read  it  to- 
day." His  congregation  will,  very  probably,  admire 
and  approve  his  choice.  Or,  what  possibly  is  better, 
let  him  present  his  own  views  in  part,  and  then  adopt, 
for  the  remainder  of  his  sermon,  the  words  of  some 
influential  author,  giving  due  credit  and  notice  of 
what  he  has  done.  In  this  way  the  occasional  use 
of  other's  sermons  may  be  not  only  without  injury, 
but  of  much  benefit. 

It  may  be  a  little  digression,  but  my  advice  is, 
that  a  young  minister  should  never  talk  to  his  friends 
or  his  congregation  about  being  at  a  loss  for  a  sub- 
ject, or  not  knowing  what  to  preach.  They  will  in- 
stinctively feel  that  he  has  no  divine  message  for 
them  ;  that  he  is  rather  thinking  of  what  kind  of  an 
effort  he  can  make,  and  how  he  can  succeed.  There 
may  be  times  when  two  subjects  press  upon  him, 
and  he  doubts  which  of  them  would  best  suit  his  con- 
gregation in  its  peculiar  circumstances.  If  he  has  a 
brother  minister  or  an  intelligent  friend  acquainted 
with  the  condition  of  the  congregation,  and  in  whose 
judgment  he  can  confide,  it  may  be  right  and  proper 
to  ask  him.  Especially  may  this  be  the  case  in  vis- 
iting a  strange  congregation.     Otherwise,  the  less 


134  Lfxtures  on  Preaching. 

conversation  about  the  topic,  or  the  sermon,  before  its 
delivery,  the  better.  If  the  message  comes  from  God, 
if  he  feels  himself  under  divine  guidance,  let  him  find 
in  careful  study  of  the  circumstances,  and  in  the  light 
which  comes  to  him  in  earne.it  prayer,  the  answer 
which  he  needs.  I  once  knew  an  aged  minister,  a 
man  of  great  faith  and  pulpit  power,  who  would  never 
before  preaching  speak  about  his  subject.  He  said, 
if  he  never  mentioned  it  Satan  would  not  know  it, 
and  would  not  be  prepared  to  counteract  its  influ- 
ence ;  but  if  he  spoke  of  it,  Satan  might  hear  of  it 
and  destroy  its  power.  This  was  over-sensitiveness  ; 
yet  I  admired  his  earnestness  of  spirit,  and  his  sim- 
ple desire  to  do  the  utmost  possible  good. 

So,  after  your  sermon,  court  no  expressions  re- 
specting it.  If  you  are  naturally  sensitive  as  to  its 
reception,  conversation  will  increase  that  sensitive- 
ness. Having  delivered  your  message,  leave  it  with 
the  people  and  with  God.  If  you  make  it  a  subject 
of  conversation  people  will  think  you  wish  compli- 
ments, and  they  will  fancy  you  care  more  for  your 
reputation  than  for  their  souls.  Apologies  before- 
hand, and  suggestions  of  not  enjoying  the  sermon 
afterward,  have  usually  their  roots  in  supreme  selfish- 
ness. 

Decide  what  end  you  propose  to  reach  by  the 
sermon.  Is  it  for  the  impenitent,  for  the  inquirer, 
or  for  the  edification  of  believers  ?  Is  it  to  en- 
force  some    pressing    duty,  to    guard    against    some 


Perverted  Texts.  135 

danger,  or  to  afiord  comfort  and  hope  to  the  sufteruig 
and  sorrowing  ?  According  to  the  object  proposed, 
let  the  text  be  selected.  It  may  be,  however,  that  in 
your  reading,  or  meditation,  or  pastoral  work,  some 
text  has  occurred  with  such  peculiar  force  that  you 
have  no  difficulty  in  a  selection.  In  a  few  cases, 
both  in  my  personal  experience  and  in  the  selection 
for  sermons,  a  passage  of  Scripture  has  occurred  with 
such  force  to  my  mind  that  it  seemed  to  stand  out 
from  the  page  in  a  clearer  light  and  in  bolder  type, 
so  that  I  seemed  to  see  nothing  but  it.  At  other 
times  a  text  has  suddenly  slipped  into  my  mind  while 
walking  on  the  street,  or  engaged  in  other  duties,  and 
has  come  back  to  me  with  such  frequency  and  with 
such  power  that  it  supplanted  all  other  trains  of 
thought.  As  a  rule,  in  preaching  from  such  texts  I 
have  enjoyed  most  light,  and  have  seen  most  imme- 
diate results. 

Let  me  guard  you  against  the  selection  of  words 
of  Scripture  wrested  from  their  true  significance, 
or  such  passages  as,  having  a  purely  literal  mean- 
ing, are  used  for  allegory,  or  as  containing  deep 
spiritual  signification.  I  knew  a  minister  who  select- 
ed the  word  "  One,"  and  preached  from  it  a  sermon 
on  one  God,  one  faith,  one  baptism,  one  heaven,  and 
one  hell.  He  said  many  good  things,  but  he  did  not 
give  the  sense  of  the  passage  or  the  mind  of  the  Spir- 
it. Another  preached  on  "  Six  steps  to  the  throne  ;" 
another  on  "  Th;re  appeared  a  great  wonder  in  heav^ 


136  Lectures  on  Preaching, 

en  ;  a  woman."  I  once  heard  of  a  man,  very  illiter- 
ate, who  fixed  on  the  passage  of  bringing  into  the 
Church  "damnable  heresies."  Mispronouncing  the 
word,  he  announced  for  his  text,  "damnable  hear- 
says ;"  and  proceeded  to  give  a  very  proper  reproof 
to  the  gossip  and  slanderous  stories  of  the  day,  which 
after  examination  turned  out  to  be  only  "  hearsays." 
He  got  nearer  the  fact,  in  truth,  than  do  many  of 
these  fanciful  speakers. 

The  true  rule  is,  Consider  as  near  as  possible  what 
God  intended  in  revealing  that  portion  of  his  word, 
and  then  you  will  be  in  a  line  with  the  thoughts  of 
God.  Closely  connected  with  this  selection  of  texts 
is  the  selection  of  topics.  These  ought  always  to  be 
of  commanding  interest,  and  such  as  apostles  and 
prophets,  and  especially  our  blessed  Saviour,  brought 
to  the  attention  of  the  Church.  You  should  dis- 
courage that  sensational  preaching  which,  while  it 
excites  the  curiosity  and  fancy,  is  of  no  permanent 
value,  There  is  a  class  of  preachers  who  always 
advertise  their  topics,  and  who  very  generally  en- 
deavor to  draw  some  persons  by  the  quaintness  or 
eccentricity  of  their  titles.  One  announces  his  sub- 
ject, "The  value  of  backbone,"  another,  "The  girl 
of  the  period."  I  knew  one  minister  who  occa- 
sionally preached  the  "  Devil's  funeral."  Another 
announced  "  Words  that  were  spoken  by  neither  God, 
man,  nor  devil ;  "  and  when  his  wondering  congrega- 
tion came  his  words  were  the  utterances  of  B.^l^^inVs 


Lists  of  Topics.  137 

ass — and  not  very  inappropriate  either.  Only  the 
other  day  I  noticed  an  advertisement  for  a  sermon 
on  "  How  Jonah  lost  his  umbrella."  It  was  on  the 
gourd  vine  that  shaded  him.  At  what  an  infinite 
distance  is  such  trifling  from  the  examples  of  the 
blessed  Saviour  and  his  apostles  !  and  how  must  it 
weaken  the  confidence  of  congregations  in  the  dec- 
larations of  a  minister  that  he  has  a  message  for  them 
from  God  ! 

If  the  young  minister  is  apprehensive  that  he  may 
run  out  of  subjects  suitable  to  the  pulpit,  I  would 
recommend  him  to  keep  a  note-book  specially  for 
texts  and  subjects.  First,  let  him  write  down  in  his 
daily  reading  of  the  Bible  such  passages  as  occur  to 
him  as  suitable  for  sermons  that  would  be  profitable 
to  his  congregation.  He  will  find  some  of  these  al- 
most ev'ery  day.  In  hearing  sermons,  or  in  visiting 
the  sick,  or  in  casual  reading  or  conversation,  such 
texts  will  also  occur  which  should  be  added  to  the 
list.  Secondly,  let  him  enter  in  another  list  such 
topics  as  present  themselves,  as  specific  duties,  doc- 
trines, or  scriptural  characters  for  imitation  or  warn- 
ing. He  will  thus  have  two  reserve  lists  to  which 
he  can  at  any  time  refer.  I  found  this  plan  to  be 
of  much  service  to  myself,  though  sometimes,  for 
months  together,  I  did  not  need  the  references,  as 
many  subjects  of  interest  came  to  me  in  the  midst 
of  my  daily  duties,  which  demanded  immediate  atten- 
tion.    But  occasionally  I  referred  to  these  lists,  and 


138  Lrctures  on  Preaching. 

selected  from  them  such  texts  or  topics  as  I  believed 
might  be  most  profitable. 

The  question  then  arises  :  "  How  long  should  the 
sermon  be.''"  No  definite  rule  can  be  giv^en.  The 
old  Scotch  ministers  and  the  Puritans  on  communion 
occasions  held  services  from  early  in  the  morning 
until  the  going  down  of  the  sun,  with  but  a  slight  in- 
termission for  the  noon  meal.  The  sermon  was  fre- 
quently, at  least,  two  hours  long.  St.  Ambrose,  it  is 
said,  spoke  about  half  an  hour.  The  Saviour's  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount,  as  we  have  it  on  record,  is  not 
very  long,  and  yet  it  has  revolutionized  the  world. 
How  long  St.  Paul  preached  we  do  not  know,  but  we 
find  at  Troas  he  spake  until  midnight ;  and  then, 
after  an  interval  to  bring  back  to  life  the  young  man 
who  had  fallen  from  the  window,  and  to  break  bread, 
he  continued  his  speech  until  daylight.  I  have 
known  the  opening  prayer  and  the  explanation  of 
the  psalm  which  was  to  be  sung,  occupy,  among 
the  Covenanters  of  this  country,  a  full  hour  and  a 
half  before  the  sermon  commenced.  In  ritualistic 
churches  the  sermon  is  crowded  into  a  small  space, 
as  comparatively  unimportant.  The  Abbe  Mulois, 
one  of  the  most  recent  and  able  of  the  French  writ- 
ers on  preaching,  suggests  seven  minutes  as  being 
the  most  approved  length  for  sermons  in  that  country. 
I,  however,  listened  to  Cardinal  Manning,  in  England, 
for  nearly  an  hour. 

The  average  length  of  Protestant  sermons  may  be 


Introdiictians.  1 39 

stated  at  from  thirty  minutes  to  an  hour,  sometimes 
being  less  than  thirty  minutes,  and  sometimes,  on 
special  occasions,  more  than  an  hour.  The  length 
of  the  sermon  will  vary  properly  with  the  grandeur 
of  the  theme,  the  necessity  for  a  thorough  explana- 
tion or  illustration,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  con- 
gregation. The  tendency  with  writers  of  sermons, 
especially  if  they  must  prepare  two  or  three  new  ser- 
mons a  week,  is  to  make  them  very  short.  The  tend- 
ency with  extemporaneous  speakers  is  to  lengthen 
them  out  almost  indefinitely,  especially  when  they 
find  themselves  in  a  fog.  The  result  will  be  what 
the  old  Scotch  parson  said  when  he  had  preached  a 
sermon  three  hours  long  :  "  Were  you  not  tired  .'' " 
said  his  friend.  "  Nae,  nae,"  said  the  parson  ;  "  but 
it  would  hae  done  your  soul  gude  to  have  seen  how 
tired  the  people  were."  The  only  safe  rule  is,  to 
quit  before  taxing  the  attention  and  patience  of  the 
congregation  so  that  they  will  be  unwilling  to  return 
again  to  the  house  of  God.  Long  sermons,  also,  are 
a  strain  upon  the  minister  who  delivers  them,  which, 
if  he  possesses  earnestness  of  manner,  will  very 
likely  unfit  him  for  a  protracted  ministry. 

The  introduction  should  have  a  proper  relation  to 
the  length  of  the  sermon.  It  stands  as  the  portico 
of  a  building,  the  arched  entrance  and  public  path- 
way to  a  garden.  Generally  the  introduction  should 
be  very  brief,  and  should  contain  a  simple  exegesis 
of  the  text,  the  relation  in   which  it  stands,  or  some 


140  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

biblical  or  other  incident  which  may  prepare  the  mind 
for  the  coming  train  of  thought.  But  if  the  object 
be  to  explain  a  doctrine  stated  or  referred  to  in  it,  or 
a  topic  introduced  by  it,  the  preacher  should  proceed 
as  directly  as  possible,  with  or  without  an  explana- 
tory introduction.  If  the  discussion  is  likely  to  be  a 
long  one,  better  hasten  at  once  to  the  theme.  It  is 
bad  policy  to  waste  the  moments  when  the  congre- 
gation is  all  attention  with  unimportant  or  trivial  re- 
marks. Challenge  the  thoughtfulness  of  the  audience 
at  once,  and  make  them  feel  you  have  important  work 
on  hand. 

The  structure  of  the  sermon  will  vary  according  to 
the  taste  and  mental  habits  of  the  individual.  A 
man  of  systematic  habits,  of  logical  power,  and  of 
little  imagination,  will  need  his  divisions  accurately 
made  to  serve  as  steps  of  the  stair-way  on  which  he 
ascends.  Those  of  a  more  philosophical  cast  of  mind, 
especially  if  blended  with  imagination,  will  see  their 
subjects  rather  in  the  light  of  a  growth.  There  will 
be  the  seed-thought,  the  young  blade,  the  stalk,  the 
leaves,  the  flower,  the  fruit,  without  j^-ecise  divisions 
technically  marked.  The  form  of  division  is  best 
for  severe  argumentation  ;  of  growth,  for  illustration. 
But  whether  regular  divisions  are  made  or  not,  it  is 
at  the  pleasure  of  the  writer  or  speaker  whether  he 
shall  announce  them  at  first,  or  simply  present  them 
as  they  arise.  If  there  be  divisions  announced,  they 
should  be  simple  in  their  character  and  few  in  num- 


Original  Plans.  141 

ber.  T  remember  once  to  have  heard  a  preacher,  on 
the  text,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,"  announce  in 
rapid  succession  twenty-four  characteristics  in  which 
men  might  behold  him.  When  he  reached  the  twelfth 
there  was  a  look  of  surprise,  and  at  the  sixteenth 
of  amazement ;  when  he  announced  the  twentieth  a 
broad  smile,  and  when  he  reached  the  twenty-fourth 
a  suppressed  titter  through  the  whole  congregation. 

Whatever  may  be  the  plan  adopted,  the  minister 
should  evolve  it  out  of  his  own  thoughts,  without 
any  reference,  at  first,  to  commentaries  or  helps. 
The  sermon  will  then  be  his  own,  fashioned  in  the 
mold  of  his  own  mind,  melted  in  the  crucible  of  his 
own  brain.  After  his  plan  is  arranged  and  the  out- 
lines of  it  framed,  whether  by  division  or  by  simple 
growth,  he  can  very  properly  use  assistance  in  its 
development.  Let  him  then  refer  to  commentaries  ; 
or  if  he  has  any  sermon  in  his  library  on  the  same 
topic,  let  him  refer  to  that,  though  with  great  caution. 
He  may  even  possibly  refer  to  sketches  of  sermons 
in  their  outlines.  But  his  own  plan  should  be  reso- 
lutely fixed  before  he  ventures  on  these  references. 
From  these  sources  he  may  obtain  suggestions  which 
will  naturally  join  to  his  own  train  of  thought,  and 
thus  add  increase  of  interest  to  his  subject.  If  a 
scientific  illustration  has  occurred  to  his  mind,  let 
him  be  well  assured  that  it  is  clear  and  accurate  ;  if 
he  is  not  a  master  of  the  science,  let  him  refer  to 
some  standard  work  to  verify  his  notions ;  but,  as  a 


i 


142  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

general  rule,  the  more  fully  his  illustrations  are  drawn 
j  from  common  life,  or  from  subjects  within  the  knovvl- 

/  edge  of  his  congregation,  the  greater  the  power  of 
his  sermons  will  be.  But  I  repeat  that,  before  plan- 
ning his  sermon,  he  should  not  read  either  plans  or 
sketches,  as  they  may  tempt  him  to  plagiarize  ;  or,  if 
he  depends  on  plans,  his  own  power  of  origination  will 
be  weakened,  if  not  destroyed.  Some  men  thus  go  on 
crutches  all  their  days.  I  have  sometimes  heard  it 
said,  in  reference  to  the  sorrows  and  troubles  of  fam- 
ilies, that  in  every  house  there  is  a  skeleton.  But  if  so, 
every  true  family  desires  to  conceal  it.  If  a  minister 
has  skeletons,  let  him  keep  them  for  his  own  use 
alone — peeping  only  now  and  then  into  his  anatom- 
ical cupboard — and  not  expose  himself  by  attempting 
to  exhibit  them  as  his  own  construction. 

The  structure  having  been  arranged,  the  law  of  in- 
vention will  come  to  his  aid.  This  law  you  have  stud- 
ied in  mental  philosophy  and  in  rhetoric.  I  may  not 
attempt  its  discussion  here.  Yet  as  it  is,  in  my  opin- 
ion, the  most  important  mental  action  to  produce  at- 
tractive, living  sermons,  it  is  worthy  of  passing  notice. 
From  the  earliest  period  of  our  chilhood  to  which 
memory  reaches,  we  are  conscious  that  an  unbroken 
stream  of  thought  has,  at  least  in  our  waking  hours, 
been  passing  through  our  minds.  This  is  the  origin 
of  all  knowledge  and  progress.  I  have  already  al- 
luded to  this  mental  movement  as  varying  in  speed 
and  breadth  in  different  persons.     Into  this  warp  we 


Theological  Invention.  143 

throw  our  shuttles,  aud  various  are  the  patterns  of  our 
life-work.  The  fundamental  laws  we  cannot  change  ; 
but,  to  a  certain  extent,  our  minds  are  like  rivers 
whose  movements  we  can  in  part  control.  Intense 
interest  may  hurry  the  flow,  and  indolence  may  re- 
tard it.  Reading  and  study  add  width  to  the  platoon 
of  thoughts  which  come  abreast  on  the  stream. 
Quickness  of  selection  and  intensity  of  recognition 
retain  a  part,  and  the  rest  flow  on  forgotten.  We 
cannot  drive  an  idea  away,  but  we  can  look  so  in- 
tently on  another  that  it  hurries  out  of  sig'nt. 

Theological  invention  is  like  other  inventions  :  it 
requires  absorption  of  the  soul.  Edison  is  always 
inventing.  The  telephone,  the  phonograph,  the  di- 
vision of  electric  light,  are  but  samples  of  his  work. 
Electricity,  with  its  correlatives,  occupies  his  whole 
thought.  He  has  no  time  to  study  Greek  or  Hebrew 
roots,  or  mediaeval  literature.  He  has  wedded  him- 
self to  natural  science.  So,  the  true  minister,  who 
is  a  man  of  one  book  and  of  one  work,  is  intently 
studying  how  he  can  bring  souls  to  Christ.  He 
wishes  to  teach  honesty,  truthfulness,  kindness,  and 
generosity ;  but  he  has  learned  that  the  true  way 
to  them  is  by  the  cross  ;  that  just  as  men  come  to 
Christ,  as  they  learn  to  be  like  him,  they  grow  in 
every  true  principle  and  noble  quality.  Hence  he 
lives  to  bring  men  to  Christ.  This  is  his  one  idea. 
It  controls  him  by  his  consciousness  of  a  divine  call 
and  the  thought  of  eternal  responsibility.     It  becomes 


144  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

his  dominant  idea  by  night  and  by  day,  in  public  and 
in  private.  Around  this  great  central  thought 
all  other  thoughts  gather.  Whether  he  reads  or 
converses,  listens  or  looks,  every  incident  and  every 
event  is  measured  by  its  relation  to  this.  Gradually 
other  thoughts  drop  out  of  view.  Attraction  of  as- 
sociation, just  as  real  and  as  powerful  as  attraction 
of  gravitation,  controls  the  movement  of  the  current. 
For  great  success,  the  preacher  cannot  afford  to 
divide  his  thoughts  and  energies.  He  cannot  spend 
part  of  his  time  on  matters  wholly  foreign,  and  then 
return  to  his  pulpit  with  the  power  which  he  might 
have  exercised.  This  intense  interest  or  absorption 
of  soul  is  the  greatest  power  we  can  exercise  over  our 
thoughts. 

Holding,  then,  the  one  leading  idea  firmly  and 
vividly  in  bis  mind,  and  having  consulted  such  helps 
as  he  deems  best,  the  minister  will  watch  the  thoughts 
that  come  to  him  under  the  laws  of  association,  and 
will  select  and  retain  such  as  he  deems  to  be  im- 
portant to  his  subject.  He  sits,  as  I  have  seen  a 
spider,  with  his  web  before  him,  and  waiting  until 
some  fly  has  been  caught  and  entrapped.  So  ideas 
fly  and  alight,  and  he  secures  them.  It  will  be  well 
for  you,  however,  if,  like  myself,  you  do  not  some- 
times think  the  proper  flies  are  long  in  coming. 

Some  persons  can  best  secure  this  continuity  of 
thought  by  keeping  the  pen  in  hand,  and  watching 
the  thoughts  that  gather  around  it.     It  holds  them 


Met  J  10  d  of  Composing.  145 

at  least  closely  to  one  point.  Others  invent  best  by 
walking  the  floor,  or  in  the  forest.  Schleiermacher 
made  his  sermons  leaning  out  of  a  window.  I  know 
one  man  who  thinks  best  while  whittling  a  stick. 
Others  throw  their  heads  back,  and  put  their  feet  on  a 
table — a  dangerous  habit  to  those  who  have  a  tend- 
ency of  a  flow  of  blood  to  the  brain.  Others  I  have 
known,  and  especially  of  the  early  itinerants,  who 
thought  best  on  horseback,  and  in  whom  the  pure 
air  of  heaven,  with  changing  landscapes  of  light  and 
shade,  and  mountain  and  valley,  gave  a  poetic  tinge 
to  all  their  meditations.  The  old  circuit  system 
among  the  Methodists,  with  all  its  difficulties  and 
disadvantages,  had  a  wonderful  power  of  inspiration, 
which  philosophical  thinkers  have  sometimes  over- 
looked. 

Each  must  select  for  himself  the  system  or  plan 
which  he  deems  best.  The  mode  is  not  material,  so 
the  end  is  gained.  One  feels  he  can  do  nothing 
without  the  "  soft  afflatus  of  celestial  fire."  Another 
obeys  the  direction  of  Dr.  Johnson  to  an  inquirer : 
"  Sit  down  doggedly,  sir."  The  latter  plan  is  the 
safer.  The  afflatus  may  seldom  come,  though  when 
it  comes  more  work  and  better  work  can  be  done  ; 
but  the  habit  of  sitting  down  "doggedly"  will  ulti- 
mately bring  the  afflatus  more  easily  and  powerfully. 

While  engaged  in  this  work  the   minister  should 

frequently  refer  to  his  Bible  ;  and  all  his  meditation 

should    hold,  as    far   as   possible,  a  scriptural  line. 
10 


146  Lectures  on  Preaching, 

Luther  says  of  God's  word,  "  It  suggests  more  than 
all  our  commentators  united."  He  should  also  com- 
pose in  a  spirit  of  prayer,  feeling  that,  as  his  message 
is  from  God,  nothing  can  be  accomplished  without 
the  divine  blessing.  His  study  should  have  an  at- 
mosphere of  prayer.  It  should  be  bathed  in  the 
breath  which  comes  from  Gethsemane  and  Calvary. 

Sermons  should  be  composed  with  the  congrega- 
tion always  in  view  They  should  be  not  simply  dis- 
cussions of  subjects,  strong  arguments,  elaborate  in 
language  and  illustration  ;  but  the  question  should 
ever  be  present,  Will  this  be  profitable  to  the  con- 
gregation ?  Will  it  reach  the  consciences  of  the  stu- 
pefied and  hardened  ?  Will  it  arouse  the  careless 
and  impenitent .''  Will  it  guard  the  young  from  dan- 
ger .''  Will  it  attract  them  to  the  cross  of  Christ  ? 
Will  it  solve  their  perplexities  .''  Will  it  dispel  their 
doubts  .''  Will  it  impart  comfort  to  the  sorrowing 
ones  .'*  Will  it  lead  the  Church  to  holy  living  and 
Christian  activity  ?  With  questions  like  these,  and 
with  a  single  eye  to  benefit  his  people,  the  minister 
will  compose  a  sermon  not  only  excellent  in  itself,  but 
especially  suited  to  the  needs  of  his  people. 

The  sermon  should  also  be  prepared  in  the  light  of 
individual  experience.  The  preacher  who  searches 
the  depths  of  his  own  heart  will  find  a  fathoming  line 
for  the  hearts  of  others.  If  he  studies  earnestly  what 
will  probe  and  arouse  his  own  conscience,  he  will  be 
instrumental  in  touching  the  consciences  of  others. 


Illustrations.  147 

Let  him  notice  in  his  own  heart  the  character  of 
temptations,  their  insidious  approach,  their  apparent 
harmony  with  the  laws  of  his  being,  their  gaining 
strength  by  indulgence,  and  the  power  which  they 
exercise,  and  his  congregation  will  feel  that  he  is 
speaking  directly  to  them.  If  he  uses  the  language 
of  books,  if  he  dwells  on  metaphysical  speculations, 
if  he  uses  technical  terms,  they  will  listen  confused 
and  bewildered  ;  but  if  he  speaks  from  the  workings 
of  his  own  heart,  describes  the  struggles  which  actu- 
ally pass  within  himself,  not  unfrequently  will  some 
member  of  his  congregation  become  angry,  supposing 
that  some  one  has  revealed  to  the  minister  his  own 
inner  life,  and  that  he  is  seeking  to  expose  him  pub- 
licly before  the  congregation.  The  most  effectual 
sermons  are  those  drawn  from  the  inner  conscious- 
ness of  the  speaker.  They  have  the  freshness  of  life 
to  the  audience ;  for  "  as  in  water  face  answereth 
to  face,  so  the  heart  of  man  to  man." 

Every  sermon  should  have  illustrations.  They  are 
like  pictures  to  the  eye  which  rivet  attention,  and 
help  to  fasten  the  truth  in  the  memory.  Our  Saviour 
gave  us  most  forcible  examples  of  illustrations  of  va- 
rious kinds.  Part  of  these  were  from  history  ;  but, 
what  is  -remarkable,  they  were  never  outside  of 
scriptural  or  Jewish  history.  In  scriptural  history 
we  have  his  reference  to  the  days  of  Noah,  a  type  of 
the  days  of  the  Son  of  man  ;  of  Jonah  preaching  to 
the  Ninevites,  and  of  their  repentance  ;  of  the  de- 


148  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

struction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  the  visit  of  the 
Queen  'of  Sheba,  and  the  glory  of  Solomon.  In  the 
facts  of  Jewish  history,  we  have  Zacharias  who  died 
between  the  horns  of  the  altar,  the  falling  of  the  tower 
of  Siloam,  and  the  condition  of  the  cities  of  Caper- 
naum, Chorazin,  and  Bethsaida.  We  have  allusions 
to  nature  in  the  grain  of  corn  falling  into  the  earth 
and  dying,  and  a  new  life  springing  therefrom  ;  the 
grass,  which  to-day  is  in  beauty  and  to-morrow  is  cast 
in  the  oven  ;  the  lily  of  the  field,  and  tlie  growth  from 
the  mustard-seed  ;  allusions  to  the  sparrow  in  its  lit- 
tleness, the  hairs  of  our  head  in  their  number,  the 
redness  of  the  evening  sky  as  betokening  fair  weath- 
er, and  that  of  the  morning  as  foreboding  storm  ;  al- 
lusions to  the  sheep,  which  now  follow  the  voice  of 
the  shepherd  and  then  wander  into  the  mountains  ; 
to  the  fowls  of  the  air  which  are  fed  out  of  God's 
store-house,  and  the  hen  that  gathers  the  chicken 
under  her  wing  ;  to  the  fox  in  his  cunningness,  the 
wolf  in  his  cruelty,  and  the  dog  in  his  sympathy  :  al- 
lusions to  the  employments  of  men  in  their  rural  oc- 
cupations— the  farmer  in  sowing  his  seed  and  gath- 
ering his  harvest,  the  vine-dresser  in  his  vineyard, 
and  the  builder  in  his  temple  ;  the  ruler  bestowing 
trusts  on  his  subjects,  the  traveler  going  to  a  far  land, 
the  good  householder,  the  faithful  and  unfaithful 
steward,  the  rich  man  in  his  sumptuous  living,  and 
his  abundant  harvest  that  calls  for  new  barns  ;  the 
young  man  with   his  wealth    and   morality,  and  the 


Illustrations.  149 

beggar  in  his  poverty  and  friendless  death.  He  turns 
to  the  employments  of  women,  and  notices  the  leaven 
hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  the  careful  housewife 
sweeping  her  floor  and  finding  the  piece  of  money, 
the  mite  of  the  poor  widow,  and  the  docility  of  little 
children.  He  also  speaks  of  the  waywardness  of  the 
prodigal  and  spendthrift,  and  the  yearnings  of  a  fa- 
ther's heart  welcoming  his  return  ;  the  fatted  calf,  the 
ring,  the  wedding  garment ;  the  very  order  of  sitting 
at  feasts,  the  alabaster  box  of  rich  perfume,  and  the 
love  which  issues  from  hearts,  once  sinful,  now  for- 
given. It  is  astonishing  how  wide  the  range,  and  at 
how  many  points  the  Saviour's  teachings  touch  the 
common  life  of  man,  and  yet  are  contained  in  so  small 
a  compass.  How  sweeping  and  yet  how  minute  his 
laws — the  law  of  marriage  and  divorce  ;  the  law  of 
filial  obedience,  and  the  reproof  of  ingratitude  ;  the 
law  of  forgiveness,  of  fastings, of  prayer,  and  of  giving 
alms  ;  the  duty  of  man  in  reconciling  difficulties  and 
offenses,  and  in  obedience  to  the  Government !  His 
field  of  view  sweeps  time  and  eternity,  embraces  su- 
preme love  to  God  and  the  love  of  our  fellow-men  as 
ourselves  ;  finds  illustrations  in  the  grave,  the  judg- 
ment, and  the  resurrection  ;  in  the  fall  of  Jerusalem 
and  in  the  end  of  the  world  ;  in  heaven  and  in  hell  ; 
in  the  raptures  of  angels  and  in  the  torments  of  the 
lost.  What  a  field  for  us  to  explore  !  If  the  Saviour 
thus  illustrated  his  sermons,  why  should  not  we  ? 
Parable,  allegory,  metaphor,  were  sanctified  by  him 


1  50  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

for  our  use.  All  the  apostles  followed  the  example  of 
our  Saviour — confining  their  illustrations  to  Jewish 
life,  history,  and  habits,  or  to  the  great  facts  of  Bible 
history — with  the  exception  of  Paul,  who  in  Athens 
used  illustrations  from  Grecian  poets  and  sculpture, 
and  in  his  Epistle  to  Titus  an  allusion  to  a  Cretan 
author. 

This  gives  us  the  additional  law,  that  we  are  not 
confined  to  the  Bible,  or  Jewish  history  or  habits  of 
life,  for  our  illustrations,  but  we  may  draw  them  from 
the  history  and  habits  of  the  people  to  whom  we  min- 
ister. Thus  the  very  knowledge  of  the  employments 
of  men  in  our  congregations  may  give  u?  power  over 
them.  The  work  of  the  assayer  of  metals,  his  refin- 
ing-pot  and  fire  and  dross  ;  the  very  nets  of  the  fish- 
ermen, with  their  variety  and  needs  of  mending;  the 
cases  of  the  attorney,  and  the  diseases  and  remedies 
familiar  to  the  physician  ;  the  digging  of  coal  in  tb.e 
mines,  and  the  carrying  of  mortar  or  bricks  by  the 
day  laborer  ;  the  preparation  of  meals,  the  care  of  the 
mother  for  her  children,  the  economy  and  thrift  of  the 
housewife,  are  so  many  store-houses  filled  with  almost 
exhaustless  stores,  which  may  be  drawn  upon  at  will. 

These  are  plain  to  the  understanding,  life-like  to 
the  thought,  touching  to  the  sympathy,  and  enduring 
in  the  memory.  Often  have  I  inquired  as  to  the 
preaching  of  some  man  of  God  who  has  been  famous 
for  pulpit  power  and  success.  His  hearers  spoke  of 
him  with  enthusiasm  and  rapture.     When  I  inquired 


Pulpit  Style.  1 5 1 

for  his  sermons,  all  that  they  could  remember  was 
his  manner  in  the  pulpit,  or  some  illustration  he  had 
employed. 

The  minister  should  never  forget  that  preaching  is 
designed  for  immediate  effect.  So  far  as  the  mere 
thought  is  concerned,  a  book  is  better  for  study  than 
a  sermon  simply  uttered.  The  living  preacher  is 
with  the  word,  to  give  it  immediate  force.  His  mes- 
sage is,  '^  Nozu  is  the  accepted  time,  and  Jiozu  is  the 
day  of  salvation."  Whenever  he  preaches  with  the 
fancy  that  his  sermons  will  do  good  sometime  next 
year  he  widely  misses  the  mark.  They  are  forgotten 
almost  as  soon  as  delivered.  It  is  the  present  im- 
pression for  which  sermons  are  preached.  Ever  re- 
member, young  gentlemen,  that  God  sends  people  to 
hear  as  well  as  you  to  preach  ;  that  your  sermon  may 
be  the  last  one  which  some  poor  sinner  may  hear 
before  he  is  summoned  to  the  bar  of  God.  Be  ear- 
nest in  your  preparation.  Say  something  which  a 
poor  soldier  on  the  battle-field,  whose  life-blood  is 
oozing  away,  or  a  culprit  on  the  gallows,  would  wish 
to  hear  before  dropping  into  eternity.  Do  not  try  to 
please  so  much  as  to  do  good. 

As  to  style,  I  have  no  minute  directions  to  give. 
Its  various  qualities  you  have  learned,  and  I  dwell 
only  on  one  point.  Use  such  language  as  the  people 
can  understand  ;  though,  while  your  language  is 
simple,  there  is  no  reason  why  the  gold  in  your  sen- 
tences may  not  be  burnished  ;  nor  will  your  steel  be 


152  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

less  strong  because  it  is  polished.  You  are  to  read 
in  the  book  of  the  law  to  give  the  sense,  and  to  cause 
the  people  to  understand.  Bossuet  says  :  "  Sublime 
speech  only  amuses  a  few,  and  benefits  fewer  still." 
This  plainness  of  speech  must  not,  however,  be  con- 
founded with  that  which  is  low  or  trivial,  much  less 
with  what  is  vulgar.  The  language  of  the  Saviour  is 
a  divine  model. 

Simple  language  stands  in  antagonism  to  high- 
sounding  phrases,  strings  of  superlatives,  and  rare  or 
technical  expressions.  Very  few  persons  in  a  con- 
gregation are  acquainted  with  technical  terms.  Even 
theological  terms  are  not  comprehended  by  the  mass- 
es, and  hence  their  interest  in  the  preaching  is  lost. 
1  remember  once  to  have  questioned  a  college  class, 
of  eleven  on  history.  The  word  transmigration  was 
used  in  connection  with  the  old  Egyptians.  Only 
one  of  the  eleven  understood  the  doctrine  of  transmi- 
gration. They  knew  the  meaning  of  the  Latin  word, 
the  signification  of  its  parts  ;  but  as  applied  to  doc- 
trine they  had  no  accurate  conception.  Yet  the 
young  theologian  will  talk  of  transmigration  or  me- 
tempsychosis as  if  every  child  understood  him.  The 
aim  of  a  minister  should  be,  as  some  one  has  said,  to 
use  language  that  "  the  poorest  old  woman  sitting  in 
a  corner  might  understand." 

Simplicity  of  language  also  stands  opposed  to  ex- 
aggeration. The  pulpit  should  have  a  sacred  regard 
for  truthfulness  of  expression  as  well  as  of  fact.     If 


Exaggeration.  153 

the  minister  may  exaggerate,  why  not  tlie  boy  ?  and 
the  preacher  who  labors  after  extravagance  of  speech 
is  really  impairing  his  own  moral  sense,  and  sapping 
the  morals  of  his  congregation.  Men  of  intense  ear- 
nestness, and  of  exceedingly  vivid  imagination  or 
wildness  of  fancy,  are  exposed  to  this  danger  ;  and 
the  habit  grows  upon  them.  A  story  is  told  of  a 
minister  so  prone  to  exaggeration,  that  after  his  breth- 
ren had  admonished  him  in  vain  they  voted  that  he 
should  be  called  before  the  bar  of  the  Conference,  and 
should  be  reproved  by  the  presiding  Bishop.  The 
reproof  was  kindly  and  affectionately  given,  and  was 
received  by  the  erring  brother  with  perfect  submis- 
sion and  with  tears.  At  the  close  he  promised  to  re- 
form, expressed  deep  sorrow  for  his  error,  said  it  had 
cost  him  many  a  pang,  and  that  over  it  he  had  shed 
barrels  of  tears. 

Nor  is  it  necessary  that  all  parts  of  the  sermon 
should  be  equally  elaborate.  Much  of  it  maybe  con- 
versational in  style,  especially  where  the  sermon  is 
expository  in  its  character.  The  close  of  a  sermon, 
however,  should  be  marked  by  earnestness  and  force. 
It  was  said  by  the  wise  man,  "  The  preacher  sought 
out  acceptable  words."  And  some  one  directs  that 
you  close  your  sermons  so  that  the  hearer  will  say  to 
himself,  "  Were  I  to  live  a  hundred  years,  I  would 
never  forget  it." 

The  language  of  sermons  should  always  be  kind. 
During  the  preparation  let   the  soul  be  filled  with 


154  Lectures  on  Preaching, 

love  ;  make  no  concealed  or  sharp  thrusts,  intending 
to  wound  feelings  or  repay  some  fancied  insult.  It 
ma}''  show  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent,  but  not  the 
harmlessness  of  the  dove.  I  think  it  is  Francis  de 
Sales  who  says,  "  I  would  give  one  hundred  serpents 
for  one  dove." 

From  some  cause  literary  men  and  able  thinkers 
do  not  always  draw  the  masses.  Their  language  is 
too  learned,  or  their  sympathy  not  apparent.  It  not 
unfrequently  happens  that  some  man  of  the  people, 
some  mechanic  or  day-laborer,  will  gather  around  him 
an  audience  which  the  man  of  culture  cannot  hold. 
The  reason  is,  they  understand  him  ;  his  language  is 
the  language  of  their  lives  ;  he  speaks  in  their  hab- 
its of  thought  ;  he  seems  to  sympathize  with  them, 
and  their  very  souls  cleave  to  him.  I  call  your  atten- 
tion to  this,  though  I  may  refer  to  it  again,  because 
the  times  require  that  true  ministers  should  not  only 
be  in  sympathy  with  the  masses,  but  that  the  masses 
should  feel  that  sympathy.  We  cannot  shut  our  eyes 
to  the  fact  that  a  wall  of  partition  is  rising  higher 
and  higher  between  the  educated  and  the  uneducated, 
between  the  capitalist  and  the  laborer,  and  there  are 
no  men  who  can  stand  in  the  breach,  none  who  can 
serve  as  a  bond  of  union,  but  the  ministers  of  the 
Gospel.  On  them,  in  this  country,  now  and  for  years 
to  come,  rests,  and  will  rest,  a  fearful  responsibility. 
No  other  class,  I  repeat,  can  stand  between  the  rich 
and  the  poor,  the  learned  and  the  ignorant,  the  vir- 


Sympathy.  155 

tuous  and  the  vicious,  but  men  divinely  sent  and  com- 
missioned of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  stoop  to  the  lowest 
depths  of  degradation,  and  yet  to  keep  themselves 
unspotted  from   the  world.     The  minister  must  ever 
give  a  helping  hand  to  his  brother.     While  he  looks 
with  affection  on  the  wretched  outcast,  struggling  in 
the  mire  of  the  pit  of  degradation,  he  also  looks  heav- 
enward, whither   he  draws   his   erring   brother,  and 
where  he  beholds  a  Saviour's  face  wreathed  with  a 
smile  of  approbation.     While  he  struggles  to  draw  his 
brother  from  destruction,  the  Saviour's  hand  holds 
him  and  draws  him  nearer  to   himself.     It  is  safe  to 
reach  with  one  hand  to  rescue  the  falling  sinner  from 
the  very  verge  of  hell,  if  with  the  other  we  can  grasp 
the  hand  of  omnipotent  and   boundless  love.     The 
office  of  the  true  minister  is  to  stand  between  God 
and  sinful  man,  listening  to  the  whispers  of  love,  and 
repeating  them  in  the  ears  of  the  fallen  ;  touching  the 
electricity  of  the  cross,  and  sending  its  thrill  through 
himself  to  his  brother  man  ;  holding  the  cords  of  love, 
and  letting  them   fall  lower  and   lower  and   lower 
to  reach  the  vilest  outcasts  of  earth,  so  long  as  he 
himself  is  bound  by  the  cords  of  adoption  to  a  Fa- 
ther's throne.     How  deep  he  may  go,  who  can  tell  } 
He  may  go  so  low  that  an  astonished  archangel  shall 
exclaim,   "  O   the  depth   of  the   riches   both   of  the 
knowledge  and  wisdom  of  God !   how  unsearchable 
are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways  past  finding  out !" 
I  shall  never  forget  an  exhibition  I  once  attended. 


156  Lfxtures  on  Preaching, 

Shortly  after  schools  for  the  imbecile  were  com- 
menced in  Europe,  a  young  man,  moved  with  be- 
nevolence, crossed  the  ocean  to  examine  their  mode 
of  operation  and  success.  Assured  of  their  utility, 
he  returned  and  commenced  a  similar  institution. 
He  advertised  for  the  most  idiotic  and  helpless  child 
that  could  be  found.  Among  those  brought  to  him 
was  a  little  boy  of  five  years  of  age.  He  had  never 
spoken  or  walked,  had  never  chewed  any  hard  sub- 
stance, or  given  a  look  of  recognition  to  a  friend. 
He  lay  on  the  floor,  a  mass  of  flesh,  without  even 
ability  to  turn  himself  over.  Such  was  the  stud^.-nt 
brought  to  this  school.  The  teacher  fruitlessly  m.\de 
effort  after  effort  to  get  the  slightest  recognition 
from  his  eye,  or  to  produce  the  slightest  intentional 
act.  Unwilling,  however,  to  yield,  at  the  hour  of 
noon  he  had  the  little  boy  brought  to  his  room,  and 
he  lay  down  beside  him  every  day  for  half  an  hour, 
hoping  that  some  favorable  indication  might  occur. 
To  improve  the  time  of  his  rest,  he  read  aloud 
from  some  author.  One  day,  at  the  end  of  six 
months,  he  was  unusually  weary,  and  did  not  read. 
He  soon  discovered  that  the  child  was  uneasy,  and 
was  trying  to  move  itself  a  little,  as  if  to  turn  toward 
him.  The  thought  flashed  upon  his  mind  :  "  It  misses 
the  sound  of  my  voice."  He  turned  himself  closely 
to  it,  brought  his  mouth  near  the  child's  hand,  and 
after  repeated  efforts  the  little  fellow  succeeded  in 
placing  his  finger  on  the  teacher's  lips,  as  if  to  say, 


Time  of  Prcj^aration.  1 5  7 

"  Make  that  sound  again."  The  teacher  said  that  mo- 
ment he  felt  he  had  the  control  of  that  boy.  He 
gained  his  attention,  and  by  careful  manipulation  of 
his  muscles  succeeded  in  teaching  him  to  walk,  and 
then  to  read  ;  and  when' I  saw  him  at  the  end  of  five 
years  he  stood  on  a  platform,  read  correctly,  recited 
the  names  of  the  Presidents  of  the  United  States,  and 
answered  accurately  a  number  of  questions  on  our  na- 
tional history.  I  looked  with  astonishment,  and  said 
to  myself.  Was  there  ever  such  patience  and  such 
devotion  .''  and  how  strong  should  be  the  love  of  that 
little  boy  for  his  teacher !  I  said.  Was  there  ever  an 
instance  of  one  stooping  so  low,  and  waiting  so  long  .-• 
Then  I  said,  Yes,  there  was  one  instance — the  Son 
of  God  came  down  from  heaven,  laid  himself  down 
beside  me,  his  great  heart  by  my  heart,  watched  me 
with  perpetual  care,  infused  into  me  of  his  own  life, 
and  waited  for  nearly  twenty  years  before  I  reached 
my  finger  to  his  lips,  and  said,  "  Speak,  Lord,  for  thy 
servant  heareth."  What  condescension,  what  love 
to  fallen  man  !  Christ  stooped  so  low — it  authorizes 
us  to  stoop,  and  wait  on,  and  wait  ever.  Some  of 
these  wretched  ones  have  been  suffering  for  more 
than  eight  and  thirty  years,  and  have  been  lying  at 
the  edge  of  the  pool  waiting  for  us  to  come  and  help 
them  into  the  troubled  waters 

Ministers  vary  greatly  as  to  the  time  of  commencing 
their  preparation  for  the  ensuing  Sabbath.  I  presume 
the  majority  commence  early  in  the  week,  usually  on 


T58  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

Tuesday,  though  I  have  heard  of  some  who  wrote 
their  sermons  from  three  to  six  months  in  advance. 
They  are  much  more  skillful  marksmen,  however, 
than  I  ever  was,  to  hit  the  mark  at  so  long  a  range. 
Others  again,  while  their  minds  are  full  of  subjects  and 
full  of  the  essence  of  preaching,  do  not  select  their 
topics  until  a  day  or  two  before,  and  sometimes  only 
an  hour  or  two  before,  the  time  of  service.  It  is  re- 
ported of  St.  Augustine  and  Chrysostom  that  they 
sometimes  selected  their  subjects  on  their  way  to 
church.  I  have  known  ministers  in  various  Churches 
to  spend  a  large  part  of  Saturday  night  walking  the 
floor  to  compose  their  sermons.  Of  course,  they  did 
not  write  ;  and  of  course,  too,  their  Mondays  were 
very  blue.  As  a  problem  in  mental  philosophy  I  do 
not  pretend  to  solve  it,  but  my  own  experience  was, 
that  when  hurried  in  preparation,  if  I  could  have  my 
text  firmly  fixed  in  my  mind  before  sleeping  on 
Saturday  night,  the  plan  of  the  sermon  came  readily 
to  me  on  Sunday  morning.  The  mode  of  preparation 
is  as  various  as  the  time.  Some  ministers  write  out 
in  full  every  word  ;  others  write  the  principal  points 
and  heads  of  arguments  ;  others  prepare  brief  notes  ; 
some  no  notes  at  all.  Robertson's  sermons,  it  is 
said,  were  sketched  on  a  visiting  card.  Spurgeon 
uses  simple  notes.  Dr.  Ed  vizards  frequently  preached 
without  notes,  while  Dr.  Chalmers  wrote  his  ser- 
mons in  full. 

It  is  very  seldom,  as  I  think,  that  a  sermon  can  be 


Repeating  Sermo?ts.  159 

very  ably  wrought  out  by  the  first  effort  of  either 
speaker  or  writer.  Though  in  a  few  cases  it  has 
been  done,  even  then  previous  materials  have  been 
freely  used.  The  life  may  be  in  it,  but  it  is  frequent- 
ly like  the  tender  blade  as  compared  with  the  ripe 
ear.  To  have  perfect  force,  it  needs  oftentimes  re- 
casting ;  always  amending,  pruning,  or  enlarging. 
Fenelon  advises,  "  Keep  the  pruning-knife  in  hand,  to 
cut  away  all  that  is  useless."  I  think  an  excellent 
plan  in  preparing  a  sermon,  whether  it  be  written  or 
delivered  without  writing,  is  first  to  make  a  simple 
outline ;  after  preaching,  look  over  and  retouch  that 
outline.  Then  some  weeks  after,  having  kept  the 
subject  in  mind,  and  other  ideas  and  illustrations 
having  occurred,  recast  or  amend  the  outline  as  judg- 
ment may  dictate,  and  deliver  the  sermon  if  oppor- 
tunity offers  ;  again  retouch,  again  let  it  rest,  and  if 
the  same  process  be  pursued  half  a  dozen  times  dur- 
ing the  interval  of  a  year  or  so,  the  sermon  may  ob- 
tain that  unity  and  beauty  and  force  that  will  make 
it  worthy  of  being  written  in  full  and  laid  carefully 
aside  as  the  product  of  matured  study  and  criticism. 

A  foolish  impression  exists  in  the  minds  of  many 
against  the  repetition  of  a  sermon  ;  but  what  do  we 
see  in  ordinary  life  around  us.''  The  lecturer  on  the 
platform  delivers  the  same  lectures  for  a  dozen  years. 
I  have  alluded  to  Phillips  repeating  the  same  lecture 
for  thirty  years.  Gough  has  been  mimicking  "  Pecul- 
iar People,"  and  Colfax  has  been  "  Across  the  Conti- 


i6o  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

nent,"  in  almost  every  lecture-field,  and  people  ad- 
mire, applaud,  and  listen  again.  The  politician  goes 
through  an  entire  canvass,  not  unfrequently  repeat- 
ing the  same  speech  every  day,  and  many  of  the 
same  people  listening  to  him.  The  songs  of  our 
sanctuaries  are  none  the  less  sweet  because  they  have 
been  sung  again  and  again.  The  ritualist  offers  the 
same  prayer  Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  year  in  and  year 
out,  and  his  congregation  is  not  weary  ;  and  even 
some  non-ritualists  acquire  almost  the  same  repeti- 
tion in  their  devotional  services.  I  remember  to  have 
listened  in  New  York  to  a  prayer  in  the  opening 
service,  which  I  greatly  admired  for  its  richness  of 
thought,  its  comprehensiveness,  its  aptness  and 
beauty  of  expression,  and  its  fervency  of  spirit.  After 
service  I  walked  with  a  friend  who  was  rather  hu- 
morous. I  spoke  as  I  thought  of  the  remarkable 
beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  prayer,  when  my  friend 
replied  :  "  Yes,  it  is  very  beautiful  ;  I  have  always 
admired  it  for  twenty  years." 

If  repetition  is  permitted  to  the  medical  lecturer 
for  each  succeeding  class,  to  the  professor  of  law  in 
each  different  course,  to  the  ordinary  lecturer,  and 
to  the  politician,  why  may  not  the  minister,  with  great 
propriety,  repeat  a  discourse  which  has  commanded 
his  best  efforts,  and  is  on  a  subject  of  essential  im- 
portance to  the  congregation .-'  Few  men,  however, 
could  do  what  Dr.  Chalmers  did.  When  crowds  at- 
tended his  ministry  he  sometimes  announced  in  the 


Repeating  Sei'mons.  l6l 

morning  that  he  would  repeat  the  same  sermon  in  the 
afternoon.  On  one  occasion,  when  he  made  that  an- 
nouncement, Dr.  Wardlaw  was  present,  and  gives  us 
an  account  of  the  scene.  The  seats  were  occupied  an 
hour  before  the  time,  the  doors  were  closed,  but  the 
main  entrance  was  kept  vacant  for  better  ventilation. 
An  immense  crowd  was  without,  and  as  soon  as 
Chalmers  entered  from  the  vestry,  in  spite  of  the 
door-keepers  the  front  door  was  torn  open,  even 
from  its  hinges,  and  the  pressing  crowd  filled  every 
available  spot  in  the  church.  Chalmers  was  grieved, 
and  administered  a  sharp  rebuke.  Walking  home 
with  him,  Chalmers  said  to  Wardlaw  :  "  I  preached 
the  same  sermon  in  the  morning,  and  for  the  very 
purpose  of  preventing  the  oppressive  annoyance  of 
such  a  densely  crowded  place  I  intimated  that  I 
should  preach  it  again  in  the  evening,"  and  added, 
"Have  yoii  ever  tried  that  plan.-*"  Wardlaw  says  : 
"I  did  not  smile — I  laughed  outright.  'No,  no,'  I 
replied,  '  my  good  friend,  there  are  but  very  few  of 
us  that  are  under  the  necessity  of  having  recourse  to 
the  use  of  means  for  getting  thin  audiences.'  "  Like 
Dr.  Wardlaw,  I  have  never  tried  the  plan,  but  if 
any  of  you  should  be  overwhelmed  with  auditors 
it  might  be  worth  your  while  to  try  the  experiment. 
Never,  however,  repeat  a  sermon  through  indolence, 
or  to  avoid  the  labor  of  preparing  a  new  one. 

As  to  sermonizing,  I  feel  my  incompetency  to  ad- 
vise.    I  have  never  been  a  systematic  sermonizer.     I 
11 


i62  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

have  already  said  to  you  that  in  my  early  ministry  I 
believed  it  impossible  for  me  to  become  a  successful 
preacher  in  the  sense  of  being  an  orator.  In  addition 
to  this,  my  health  was  very  delicate,  and  I  anticipated, 
at  the  longest,  only  two  or  three  years  of  service. 
At  that  time,  in  the  Church  to  which  I  belonged 
there  were  no  theological  schools  ;  and  in  the  West 
no  theological  seminary,  founded  by  any  Church, 
had  gained  much  reputation  ;  hence  I  commenced 
my  ministry  without  any  specific  theological  training. 
I  had  read  my  Bible  thoroughly  from  my  earliest 
childhood,  for  I  cannot  recollect  when  I  could  not 
read  ;  and  my  study  in  the  original  languages,  more 
especially  in  the  Greek,  had  been  for  years  a  delight- 
ful occupation  ;  but  no  one  had  told  me  how  to  make 
a  sermon.  I  had  listened  to  good  preachers,  but  the 
only  sermons  I  had  ever  read  were  those  of  Mr.  Wes- 
ley. I  did  not  know  there  was  such  a  thing  as  a 
skeleton,  or  a  book  of  skeletons  of  sermons  ;  and  in 
my  youthful  innocence  I  would  as  soon  have  stolen 
money  from  a  bank  as  to  have  attempted  to  appro- 
priate a  sermon  which  I  had  either  heard  or  read.  I 
remember  well  how,  about  the  close  of  my  first  year, 
an  older  minister  put  into  my  hand,  and  offered  to 
lend  me,  a  book  of  sketches.  I  happened  to  have 
common  sense  enough  to  decline  the  offer  ;  so,  without 
knowing  how  a  sermon  was  made,  save  as  mentioned, 
I  began  to  preach.  I  did  not  try  to  make  sermons. 
I  felt  I  must,  at  the  peril  of  my  soul,  persuade  men 


Early  Efforts.  163 

to  come  to  Christ ;  I  must  labor  to  the  utmost  of  my 
ability  to  get  sinners  converted,  and  believers  ad- 
vanced in  holiness.  For  this  I  thought  and  studied, 
wept  and  fasted  and  prayed.  My  selection  of  words, 
my  plan  of  discourse,  was  only  and  all  the  time  to 
persuade  men  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  I  never 
spoke  without  the  deepest  feeling,  and  unless  I  saw 
a  strong  divine  influence  on  the  congregation  I  felt 
sad,  and  sought  retirement  to  humble  myself  before 
God  in  prayer.  My  sermons  were  not  well  arranged  ; 
they  sometimes  had  divisions,  for  I  had  heard  ministers 
say  firstly,  and  secondly,  and  thirdly.  Sometimes  I 
had  a  line  v/ritten  out  here  and  there,  and  sometimes 
a  few  catch-words  on  a  scrap  of  paper,  but  which  I 
seldom,  if  ever  carried  into  the  pulpit,  and  very  few 
of  which  I  ever  preserved.  My  ministry  was  one  of 
exhortation  rather  than  of  sermonizing  ;  and  I  looked 
for  immediate  results  under  every  effort,  or  to  me  it 
was  a  failure.  So  my  early  ministry  was  formed. 
Whatever  my  method  was,  it  was  purely  my  own, 
and  was  adopted,  as  I  have  said,  not  to  make  ser- 
mons, but  to  bring  men  to  God.  No  one  could  have 
been  more  surprised  than  myself  when  I  began  to 
find,  not  only  that  souls  were  awakened  and  con- 
verted, but  that  friends  began  to  speak  kindly  of 
my  simple  talks  as  sermons.  So  I  finished  my 
first  year.  My  second  year  I  was  stationed  in 
Pittsburgh,  where  I  was  compelled  to  preach  three 
times  on  Sabbath,  and  once  at  least  during  the  week, 


164  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

but  not  always  to  the  same  congregation.  I  was  so 
driven,  it  seemed  as  if  I  could  not  change  my  plans. 
At  the  end  of  my  first  year  there  I  had  preached  all 
I  knew,  and  expected  to  be  relieved.  But  I  was  un- 
expectedly returned,  to  preach  three  times  on  the 
Sabbath  and  once  a  week  to  the  same  congregation. 
I  had  a  membership  of  four  hundred,  scattered 
over  the  city.  In  addition  to  my  preaching,  I  led  the 
public  prayer-meeting,  spent  one  evening  with  my 
official  members,  led  two  classes,  took  a  deep  interest 
in  the  Sunday-school,  and  formed  a  class  of  young 
men,  whom  I  encouraged  in  their  reading,  and  helped 
in  some  slight  degree  to  prepare  for  the  ministry. 
And  so,  not  expecting  to  be  a  preacher,  I  preached 
on  ;  not  expecting  to  live,  I  lived  on.  Many  a  time 
I  resolved  I  would  prepare  better,  and  yet  I  often 
found  myself  brought  up  to  Saturday  evening  or 
Sunday  morning  with  comparatively  slight  prepara- 
tion for  the  Sabbath.  But  I  studied  intensely.  I 
arose  early,  and  spent  my  forenoons  faithfully — not  in 
sermon  writing,  but  in  mastering  standard  works  on 
theology,  mental  philosophy,  and  the  natural  sciences, 
of  which  I  was  passionately  fond.  I  studied  on  my 
feet,  and  found  my  sermons  among  the  sick  and  poor, 
in  garrets  and  in  cellars.  Not  expecting  ever  to  do 
much  in  the  pulpit,  I  spoke  to  men  every-where  of 
Jesus  and  his  love,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
many  scores  brought  to  the  foot  of  the  cross.  I  ex- 
pected by  and  by  to  find  leisure  to  make  better  ser- 


Personal  Experience.  165 

mons,  but  I  have  never  found  it.  My  boat  got  on 
the  stream,  and  I  have  been  borne  down  the  rapid 
current  without  the  time  to  rest,  until  I  can  almost 
see  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  the  boundless  ocean 
beyond.  I  would  not  advise  any  young  man  to  do 
as  I  have  done.  I  would  breathe  into  you,  if  I  could, 
the  earnestness  and  love  of  souls  and  the  devotion  of 
my  earlier  ministry  :  but  I  would  urge  you  to  make  a 
better  preparation,  and  to  become  workmen  more  ap- 
proved both  of  God  and  man. 


i66  Lectures  on  Preaching. 


LECTURE    VI. 

THE   DELIVERY   OF    A    SERMON. 

T  N  the  composition  of  a  sermon  the  collection  of 
-■-  material  evinces  the  diligent  student ;  broad  and 
comprehensive  thoughts  reveal  the  great  thinker ; 
clear,  beautiful,  and  forcible  language  manifests  the 
cultured  writer  ;  but  only  in  the  delivery  of  a  sermon 
does  the  true  preacher  appear.  "  His  throne  is  the 
pulpit ;  "  he  stands  in  Christ's  stead  ;  his  message  is 
the  word  of  God  ;  around  him  are  immortal  souls  ; 
the  Saviour,  unseen,  is  beside  him  ;  the  Holy  Spirit 
broods  over  the  congregation  ;  angels  gaze  upon  the 
scene,  and  heaven  and  hell  await  the  issue.  What 
associations,  and  what  vast  responsibility  ! 

The  sermon,  considered  simply  as  matter,  might  be 
contained  in  an  essay  or  a  book  ;  that  which  con- 
stitutes its  preaching  is  the  appearance,  utterance, 
and  action  of  the  living  preacher.  It  is  differentiated 
from  the  ordinary  lecture,  or  oration,  by  the  message 
being  divine,  and  the  speaker  having  been  sent  of  God  ; 
and  from  the  theological  essay,  or  the  published  ser- 
mon, by  the  presence  and  influence  of  the  speaker. 
The  word  of  God  is  the  constant  quantity,  the 
preacher   the    variable.     If   this   be    true,  then   that 


Personality  of  tJic  P readier.  i ^"j 

preaching  is  best  which,  on  the  one  hand,  is  most 
full  of  the  divine  message,  and  which,  on  the  other, 
has  the  greatest  personality  of  the  preacher.  The 
Spirit  of  God  employs  not  only  the  truth,  but  the  ut- 
most powers  of  utterance,  intonation,  countenance, 
and  gesticulation.  I  think  Dr.  Dick  first  suggested 
that  the  time  might  come  when  the  preacher  could  sit 
in  his  study,  and,  by  means  of  tubes  properly  ar- 
ranged, could  address  a  distant  congregation.  A 
similar  use  has  been  suggested  for  the  telephone. 
While  either  of  these  processes  would  convey  the 
sound  to  the  ear  with  the  accent  and  intonation  of 
the  speaker,  who  does  not  feel  that  by  such  a  process 
the  chief  power  and  influence  of  the  pulpit  would  be 
lost .''  Were  not  the  presence  of  the  preacher  neces- 
sary, God  could  have  employed  the  ministry  of  angels, 
or  each  person  might  have  been  addressed  by  a  vision 
or  a  voice.  The  ordination  of  God  requires  that 
preaching  shall  be  by  a  man  of  like  passions  and 
sympathies  with  other  men.  He  stands  as  a  witness 
and  an  illustration  of  the  influence  of  divine  power. 
As  he  knows  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  others  may 
know  it ;  as  he  has  felt  the  power  of  the  Gospel, 
others  may  feel  it,  also.  He  tells  them  how  he  was 
moved  ;  out  of  how  deep  a  pit  he  was  drawn  ;  how  his 
feet  have  been  placed  on  the  Rock  of  ages  ;  how  he 
repented  and  believed  ;  how  he  was  delivered  from 
temptations,  and  how  he  is  now  filled  with  power  to 
resist  allurements  and  fascinations  which  once  took 


i68  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

him  captive  ;  how  that  once  he  was  influenced  only 
by  the  visible  and  earthly,  but  that  now  he  is  un- 
der a  sweet  attraction  of  the  unseen  and  heavenly. 
If,  then,  the  personality  of  the  preacher  be  so  nec- 
essary and  so  potent  a  factor,  what  manner  of 
person  should  a  minister  be,  in  all  holy  conversation 
and  godliness !  He  should  resemble  Stephen  in 
being  a  man  full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
He  should  be  able  to  say  with  Paul :  "  Ye  are  wit- 
nesses, and  God  also,  how  holily,  and  justly,  and  un- 
blamably  we  behaved  ourselves  among  them  that 
believed  !  "  If  he  causes  in  the  minds  of  the  people 
even  so  much  as  a  suspicion  that  he  is  a  wicked  man, 
his  power  is  at  once  impaired.  Men  may  admire  his 
mental  vigor,  his  faultless  rhetoric,  his  irresistible 
logic,  and  his  overwhelming  oratory  ;  but  their  hearts 
will  not  be  captivated  by  his  utterances.  People  may 
flock  to  his  ministry  as  they  would  visit  the  theater, 
the  concert-room,  or  the  opera,  to  satisfy  their  curi- 
osity or  gratify  their  taste.  They  hope  to  be  charmed, 
not  profited. 

There  are  four  different  methods  of  delivering  a 
sermon,  each  of  which  has  in  its  favor  the  authority 
pf  eminent  names  and  of  conspicuous  examples  : 
First,  reading  in  the  pulpit  from  a  copy  previously 
prepared  ;  secondly,  reciting  from  memory  a  sermon 
which  has  been  committed;  thirdly,  using  notes  more 
or  less  copiously,  which  are  read  or  referred  to  in  the 
pulpit,  and  to  vyhich  may  be  added  such  iHustrations 


Reading  Sermons.  169 

or  amplifications  as  may  occur  to  the  mind  at  the 
moment,  or  which  may  have  been  more  or  less  pre- 
meditated ;  fourthly,  speaking  directly  to  the  audi- 
ence, without  relying  on  any  verbal  preparation. 
These  various  methods  may  be,  and  frequently  are, 
partially  intermingled.  The  reader  who  becomes 
interested  may  pass  over  pages  of  his  manuscript,  re- 
citing from  memory,  or  may  be  so  permeated  with  his 
subject  that  he  ventures  to  vary  from  the  language 
before  him.  So  the  extemporaneous  speaker  fre- 
quently quotes  from  memory  Scripture  texts  or 
phrases,  stanzas  of  hymns  or  lines  of  poetry  ;  or  he 
may  read  a  paragraph  of  statistics,  or  an  excerpt 
from  some  favorite  author.  Reading  secures  to  the 
preacher  self-possession.  He  knows  that  he  has  his 
sermon  prepared,  and,  consequently,  has  no  burden 
upon  his  imagination  or  memory.  Nor  will  the 
presence  or  absence  of  any  persons  in  his  congrega- 
tion either  annoy  or  confuse  him.  He  has  nothing 
to  do  but  simply  to  read  what  he  has  written.  He 
has  confidence  in  the  accuracy  of  his  language  and 
in  the  strength  of  his  logic.  He  had  time  to  revise 
and  change  while  the  pen  was  in  his  hand.  Some 
ministers  labor  under  the  apprehension  that,  if  they 
speak  extemporaneously,  they  may  forget  the  in- 
tended points  of  their  sermon,  or  in  the  excitement 
of  speaking  may  omit  some  necessary  link  in  an 
argument.  To  others  language  comes  slowly,  and, 
under  the  hesitancy,  utterance  becomes  difficult.     So 


i^o  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

some  men  of  fine  culture  and  of  mental  strength 
think  themselves  inadequate  to  the  task  of  preaching 
without  a  manuscript.  Others  prefer  the  written 
sermon,  that  definitions  may  be  more  precise  and 
argumentation  more  close  and  forcible.  For  pur- 
poses of  controversy,  also,  the  preparation  and  aid  of 
the  manuscript  are  considered  valuable. 

While  admitting  the  full  force  of  these  statements, 
yet  it  seems  to  me  the  advantages  are  not  so  great  as 
the  disadvantages.  In  reading  closely,  little  of  the 
preacher's  personal  power,  except  his  voice,  is  added 
to  the  written  words.  Even  that  is  restrained,  as  the 
reading  voice  is  not  so  full  as  the  speaking  one.  The 
power  of  the  eye,  the  play  of  the  features,  the  light 
of  the  countenance,  and  the  freedom  of  movement, 
are  either  lost  to  the  audience  or  greatly  restricted. 
This  personal  power  being  a  great  factor  in  preach- 
ing, what  impairs  it  inevitably  weakens  the  impres- 
sion of  the  sermon. 

It  is  alleged,  however,  that  a  minister  ought  not  to 
read  closely  ;  that  the  eye  need  not  follow  the  man- 
uscript, except  now  and  then  ;  that  the  preacher  may 
remember  so  much  of  his  sermon  that  he  can  deliver 
it  without  much  restraint.  This  is  true.  But  if  so, 
it  indicates  that  a  free  delivery  is  better  than  reading. 
If  a  man  excels  as  a  reader  because  he  seldom  looks 
at  his  manuscript,  would  it  not  be  excelsior  not  to  look 
at  it  all  }  Is  it  not  the  highest  praise  of  a  good  reader, 
that  he  reads  as  if  he  were  speaking  .'     But  is  it  ever 


Reading  Sennotis.  1 71 

considered  a  compliment  to  a  speaker  to  say  that  he 
speaks  as  if  he  were  reading  ?  Those  who  recite 
from  memory  do  sometimes  so  appear,  but  it  is  ever 
accounted  a  blemish.  If  we  consider  the  advantages 
carefully,  we  find  that  they  inure  to  the  preacher 
rather  than  to  his  hearers.  But  is  the  comfort  or 
convenience  of  the  speaker  the  chief  end  of  preach- 
ing .-*  If  after  he  has  written  an  argument,  and  has 
thus  familiarized  himself  with  it,  and  yet  when  in  the 
pulpit  cannot  remember  its  various  links,  is  it  prob- 
able that  his  people  can  follow  and  remember  it,  who 
hear  it  for  the  first  time  as  he  reads  .-*  If  the  points 
of  his  sermon  are  so  feebly  connected  that,  after 
studying  and  writing,  he  cannot  recall  them  in  proper 
order,  is  the  order  very  material  .?  If  he  has  not  in- 
terest enough  in  his  subject  to  remember  the  mes- 
sage which  God  sends  through  him,  is  it  likely  to  in- 
terest the  people  .''  Nor  is  reading  necessary  for 
accurate  definition.  Does  not  the  professor  in  his 
lecture-room  state  his  definitions  clearly,  and  does  he 
not  make  them  plain  to  his  students  }  It  may  be  said 
he  is  familiar  with  them  ;  so  should  the  minister  be 
with  definitions  in  theology.  If,  after  having  studied 
a  course  of  divinity,  and  having  prepared  his  specific 
sermon,  he  cannot  trust  to  his  memory  for  the  neces- 
sary definitions,  will  they  be  easily  comprehended  by 
his  people  .-'  As  to  controversial  sermons,  as  a  gen- 
eral rule,  tlie  less  of  them  the  better.  I  do  not  object 
to  doctrinal  preaching.     Far  from  it.      I  strongly  ad- 


172  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

vise  it  in  the  didactic  and  positive  form  ;  but  I  think 
it  is  seldom  necessary  in  a  controversial  style.  Mr. 
Wesley,  who  lived  in  a  period  of  great  theological 
controversy,  said  that  out  of  eight  hundred  sermons 
which  he  preached  in  a  year  there  were  not  more 
than  eight  of  a  controversial  character. 

The  use  of  notes  is  less  objectionable  than  reading 
a  sermon  from  manuscript.  They  may  refresh  the 
memory  in  case  of  confusion  of  thought,  and  may  im- 
part confidence  to  the  timid  without  withdrawing  the 
attention  very  greatly  from  the  audience.  Yet  it 
would  be  much  better  to  have  the  notes  thoroughly 
written  on  the  heart.  If  notes  be  used  the  heads  of  a 
discourse  may  be  read,  and  the  amplification  may  be 
greater  or  less,  according  to  the  occasion  or  to  the 
ability  of  the  speaker. 

Reciting  from  memory,  if  the  sermon  has  been 
well  committed,  is  not  unpleasant  to  the  hearer,  as 
the  preacher  may  have  full  play  for  all  his  powers. 
Actors  display  their  utmost  skill,  and  sometimes  pro- 
duce great  effects,  though  their  parts  are  committed 
and  recited.  This  form  of  delivery,  however,  for 
ministers  of  ordinary  memory,  who  preach  two  or 
three  times  a  week,  must  impose  a  slavish  service. 
Time  is  thus  spent  which  should  be  given  to  careful 
study  or  to  pastoral  work. 

It  is  objected  to  what  is  termed  extemporaneous 
delivery,  that  the  language  is  oftentimes  incorrect, 
the  thoughts  are  frequently  incoherent,  and  the  whole 


Exteniporaiicoiis  Preaching.  173 

performance  is  crude.  This  may  be,  and  doubtless 
is,  sometimes  the  case.  But,  as  one  has  aptly  re- 
marked, there  may  be  extemporaneous  writing  as  well 
as  extemporaneous  speaking.  Once  for  all,  let  me 
say,  that  extemporaneous  speaking,  or  direct  address, 
as  I  prefer  to  call  it,  does  not  exclude  the  most  thor- 
ough and  perfect  preparation.  It  may  be  abused  by 
ignorant  and  indolent  men  ;  but  it  is  not  designed  to 
diminish  the  necessity  for  extensive  reading  and  care- 
ful thought.  The  order  and  the  parts  of  the  dis- 
course should  be  clearly  fixed  in  the  mind  ;  illustra- 
tions may  be  selected  and  arranged  ;  suitable  lan- 
guage for  certain  portions  may  be  well  studied,  or 
the  whole  sermon  may  be  written  ;  yet  at  the  time  of 
delivery,  with  the  heart  full  of  the  subject,  and  with 
the  outlines  clearly  perceived,  let  the  speaker  rely  on 
his  general  knowledge  of  language  and  his  habit  of 
speaking  for  the  precise  words  he  may  need.  If  he 
be  deeply  in  earnest  he  will,  as  he  proceeds,  feel  a 
glow  of  enthusiasm  which  will  give  a  warmth  and 
vigor  to  his  expression.  I  do  not  deny  that  warmth 
and  vigor  may  be  gained  in  the  study,  if  the  writer 
fancies  the  congregation  before  him,  and  if  he  writes 
as  if  he  looked  them  in  the  face,  and  measured  the 
momentous  results  connected  with  the  sermon  ;  yet 
there  is  a  greater  power  in  the  actual  presence  of  a  liv- 
ing assembly  waiting  for  the  bread  of  life,  and  whose 
countenances  respond  to  the  words  of  the  speaker. 
It  is  said  that  critical  audiences  greatly  prefer  the 


174  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

polished  finish  of  a  written  discourse,  and  that  they 
are  not  satisfied  with  extemporaneous  delivery.  There 
may  be  a  few  such  congregations  ;  but  are  they  not 
found  chiefly  among  those  who  reject  evangelical  doc- 
trines, who  attend  service  rather  to  be  dehghted  than 
edified,  and  who  say,  "  Prophesy  unto  us  smooth 
things  ?  "  It  may  also  be  fairly  admitted  that  where 
sermons  are  delivered  purely  for  instruction,  reading 
may  not  only  be  allowable,  but  may  even  be  prefera- 
ble ;  yet  persuasion,  rather  than  instruction,  is  the 
great  end  of  preaching.  Instruction  is  essential,  but 
without  persuasion  the  sinner  is  never  moved  or 
saved.  In  the  lecture-room,  in  the  study  of  science, 
reading  is  highly  proper.  And  yet  who  that  ever 
heard  Agassiz  did  not  admire  the  freedom  and  de- 
lightful ease  with  which  he  imparted,  in  familiar  style, 
the  highest  truths  and  the  most  wonderful  phenome- 
na of  natural  science  ?  It  may,  also,  be  admitted  that 
an  audience  composed  mainly  of  students,  or  of  those 
whose  minds  have  been  long  disciplined  by  educa- 
tional processes,  may  be  both  pleased  and  profited  by 
the  reading  of  sermons.  But  there  are  few  congre- 
gations where  men  of  thorough  culture  compose  even 
a  large  minority ;  for  those  who  receive  a  collegiate, 
or  even  an  academic,  training  bear  a  small  per  cent- 
age  to  the  entire  population.  The  larger,  though  un- 
cultured, class  demands  the  greatest  attention  from 
the  minister.  It  is  a  law  of  nature  that  heated  air 
always  ascends,  but  never  descends.     A  fire  may  be 


Extemporaneous  Preaching.  175 

built  upon  the  ice  without  having  much  effect  upon 
it  ;  so,  in  society,  all  extensive  reformations  begin 
with  the  masses.  In  the  time  of  our  Saviour  the 
question  was  asked,  "  Have  any  of  the  rulers  believed 
in  him  ?  "  and  under  the  labors  of  his  disciples  it  is 
said  that  "  not  many  wise,  not  many  noble,  were 
called  ;"  yet  the  common  people  heard  them  gladly. 
In  the  Reformation  during  the  sixteenth  century  the 
masses  rallied  around  the  standard  of  Luther  and  his 
coadjutors.  It  is  proverbially  said  that  capital  is  ever 
timid  and  cautious,  and  history  shows  that  few  men 
in  prominent  positions  have  become  leaders  in  re- 
forms. Erasmus,  though  detesting  and  satirizing  the 
monks,  and  though  helping  to  prepare  for  the  Refor- 
mation by  his  Greek  Testament,  yet,  fearing  to  break 
with  Rome,  declined  to  unite  with  the  reformers.  If 
ministers  expect  great  success  they  must  tread  in  the 
footsteps  of  the  great  masters,  and  throw  themselves 
fearlessly  upon  the  sympathies  of  the  people.  Yet  I 
incline  to  the  opinion  that  men  of  the  highest  culture 
enjoy  an  earnest  extemporaneous  form  of  delivery  if 
the  matter  is  of  a  high  and  elevated  character.  Frank- 
lin, cool  and  dispassionate  as  he  was,  said  he  would 
go  twenty  miles  to  hear  Whitefield. 

We  are  sometimes  told  that  many  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished and  successful  ministers  have  read  their 
sermons.  This  is  readily  admitted.  There  are  oth- 
ers equally  talented  who  do  so  still.  Yet  the  number 
is  comparatively  small   when   contrasted  with  those 


1/6  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

who  do  not  read.  Perhaps  no  name  is  more  frequent- 
ly quoted  than  that  of  Dr.  Chalmers,  as  an  instance 
of  wonderful  power  and  great  success  combined  with 
reading;  yet  his  great  power  was  most  conspicuously 
displayed  when  he  left  his  manuscript,  and  uttered 
his  thoughts  in  the  most  impassioned  style.  Even 
in  his  lecture-room  he  occasionally  did  so.  "  Dr.  Han- 
na  says  :  "  The  interest  was  at  once  deepened  and  di- 
versified at  times  by  some  extemporaneous  addition 
or  illustration,  in  which  the  lecturer,  springing  from 
his  seat  and  bending  over  his  desk,  through  thick  and 
difficult  and  stammering  utterance,  in  which  every 
avenue  to  expression  seemed  to  be  choked  up,  found 
his  way  to  some  picturesque  conception  and  express- 
ive phraseology,  which  shed  a  flood  of  light  on  the 
topic  in  hand  ;  and,  again,  by  some  poetic  quotation, 
recited  with  most  emphatic  fervor,  or  by  some  hu- 
morous allusion  or  anecdote  told  with  archest  glee.  It 
was  almost  impossible  in  such  a  singular  class-room 
to  check  the  burst  of  applause  or  to  restrain  the  mer- 
riment." Of  his  pulpit  efforts,  a  writer  in  the  "  Brit- 
ish Quarterly  Review  "  gives  the  following  descrip- 
tion :  "  Dr.  Chalmers  on  great  occasions  was  abso- 
lutely terrible.  His  heavy  frame  was  convulsed  ;  his 
face  flushed  and  grew  pythic  ;  the  veins  on  his  fore- 
head and  neck  stood  out  like  cordage ;  his  voice 
cracked  or  reached  to  a  shriek :  foam  flew  from  his 
mouth  in  flakes  ;  he  hung  over  his  audience,  menac- 
ing them  with   his  shaking  fist,  or  he  stood  erect, 


Direct  Address.  1/7 

maniacal  and  stamping."  No  marvel  that  the  Scotch 
lady,  who  admired  him,  and  yet  was  greatly  opposed 
to  reading,  said,  by  way  of  apology,  that  it  was  read- 
ing "with  a  pith  in  it."  Such  delivery  comes  prop- 
erly under  the  form  of  direct  address,  having  no  ele- 
ment in  common  with  the  mode  in  which  a  manuscript 
is  usually  read.  Probably  in  four  cases  out  of  five  of 
those  who  read  sermons,  their  great  power  is  just  in 
that  part  which  they  do  not  read. 

The  voice  of  antiquity  is  almost  unanimous  in  favor 
of  the  direct  address.  From  the  day  that  Miriam 
raised  her  song  of  joy  on  the  banks  of  the  Red  Sea 
to  the  close  of  the  prophecy  of  Malachi,  the  prophet 
sent  of  God  usually  spoke  directly  to  the  people.  In 
the  New  Testament  record  there  is  not  a  single  in- 
stance given  of  an  address  being  read. 

The  blessed  Saviour,  the  only  perfect  model,  spake 
as  never  man  spake.  The  apostles  and  their  associ- 
ates followed  his  example,  preaching  the  Gospel  with 
all  boldness.  Nor  have  we  any  historical  evidence 
of  sermons  being  read  for  the  first  four  centuries. 
We  know  that  Ambrose,  Basil,  Jerome,  Chrysostom. 
and  Augustine  spoke  even  without  notes,  though, 
very  probably,  they  sometimes  prepared  them.  The 
Roman  Catholic  Church  has  pursued  the  same  meth- 
od almost  without  exception.  The  great  French  ora- 
tors, Bourdaloue,  Bossuet,  Fcnelon,  and  Massillon 
used  the  same  style,  though  some  of  them  wrote  and 

committed  their  sermons. 
12 


178  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

Potter,  in  his  work  on  sacred  eloquence,  which  is 
indorsed  by  Cardinal  Cullen  and  Dr.  Newman,  and 
the  highest  Roman  Catholic  dignitaries  in  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland,  says  :  "  In  no  sense  of  the  word 
can  reading  be  called  preaching.  A  sermon  is  of  its 
very  nature  a  persuasive  oration.  In  real  preaching 
one  man  speaks  to  another.  .  .  .  The  sermon  which 
is  merely  read  from  a  paper  never  has  been,  and 
never  will  be,  any  thing  more  than  a  piece  of  reading. 
Such  a  performance  never  has  been,  and  never  will 
be,  made  to  possess  those  qualities  of  warmth  or  ear- 
nestness, of  spontaneity  and  of  special  and  varying 
application,  which  mark  the  persuasive  oration,  and 
which  are  distinctive  of,  and  indispensable  to,  a  ser- 
mon in  the  true  sense  of  the  word."  The  same  view 
is  taken  by  the  Greek  Church,  though  in  the  midst  of 
its  ceremonies  the  sermon  is  almost  neglected.  These 
two  Churches  embrace  nearly  three  fourths  of  Chris- 
tendom. In  the  commencement  of  the  Reformation 
none  of  the  great  leaders  on  the  Continent  read  their 
sermons  ;  but  in  England  the  practice  was  early 
adopted.  Calvin,  writing  to  Somerset,  says  :  "  There 
is  too  little  of  living  preaching  in  your  kingdom,  ser- 
mons there  being  mostly  read.  .  ,  .  But  all  this  must 
yield  to  the  command  of  Christ,  which  orders  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel.  No  possible  danger  must 
be  permitted  to  abridge  the  Spirit  of  God,  or  pre- 
vent his  free  course  among  those  whom  he  has  adorned 
with  his  grace  for  the  edifying  of  the  Church." 


General  Practice.  179 

Among  the  Protestants  of  Europe  reading  is  seldom 
practiced,  except  in  England  and  Scotland.  Even 
there  such  ministers  as  Spurgeon,  Newman  Hall, 
and  Parker,  who  have  gathered  large  congregations, 
speak  without  manuscript.  So,  also,  do  the  Wesley- 
ans  and  Baptists  generally. 

In  this  country  the  practice  is  divided  ;  but  reviv- 
alists every-where  use  direct  address.  So,  also,  the 
great  majority  of  the  ablest  pulpit  speakers  in  the 
land.  Some  of  these  write  and  commit  ;  others,  with 
great  labor,  premeditate  and  hold  in  memory  ;  but 
the  majority  of  able  speakers  who  use  this  direct  ad- 
dress, having  the  matter  well  prepared,  rely  on  the 
inspiration  of  the  moment  and  their  power  of  lan- 
guage for  their  precise  words.  As  services  be- 
come ritualistic,  the  sermon,  being  deemed  of  less 
importance,  is  more  frequently  read.  In  other  call- 
ings men  in  earnest  use  direct  address  almost  wholly. 
The  attorney  never  reads  a  plea  for  the  life  of  his 
client  before  a  jury.  The  politician  on  the  platform 
— or,  as  it  is  termed  throughout  the  West,  on  the 
stump — never  reads  a  speech.  The  general,  who  ad- 
dresses his  officers  or  army  before  going  into  battle, 
never  reads.  And  yet  what  powerful  effect  his  few- 
words  sometimes  have.  I  would,  then,  most  earnestly 
advise  every  young  man  to  cultivate  this  habit  of  ex- 
temporaneous, or  direct,  address.  It  will  give  him, 
other  things  being  equal,  more  influence  and  more 
power  over  his  audience ;  it  will  make  the  address 


i8o  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

more  life-like,  as  breathing  his  own  impulses,  and  al- 
lowing him  to  use  attendant  or  surrounding  circum- 
stances. Under  the  excitement  of  direct  address 
some  of  the  most  beautiful  imagery,  as  well  as  the 
most  forcible  expressions,  occur  to  the  mind.  The 
reactive  influence  of  the  congregation  is,  also,  se- 
cured. The  faces  of  his  audience  will  oftentimes 
make  suggestions,  and  he  can  skillfully  vary  his 
phrases  or  the  length  of  the  different  parts  of  his 
discourse.  While  I,  however,  greatly  prefer  the  di- 
rect address,  each  one  must  decide  for  himself,  as  no 
absolute  and  universal  rule  can  be  enjoined. 

As  to  directions  for  reading  sermons  properly,  I 
confess  frankly  my  inability  to  give  them  In  forty- 
five  years  of  ministry  1  have  never  attempted  to  read 
a  sermon.  A  few  Sabbath  afternoon  lectures  to  col- 
lege students  and  some  general  lectures  comprise 
the  total  of  my  experience  in  that  direction.  In  the 
earliest  years  of  my  ministry  I  wrote  and  committed 
two  sermons,  which  I  delivered  without  difficulty.  So 
even  in  that  I  am  a  novice.  Notes  I  have  occasion- 
ally, though  seldom,  used.  While  I  bow  at  the  feet 
of  many  distinguished  men  v.'ho  read  successfully, 
yet  if  I  must  give  my  advice  as  to  the  style  of  read- 
ing sermons,  I  should  follow  the  example  of  Punch, 
who  on  a  certain  occasion  offered  a  prize  for  the  best 
essay  addressed  to  those  contemplating  matrimony, 
and  awarded  it  to  one  which  read  about  as  follows  : 
"Advice  to  those  about  to  srct  married — Don't!" 


Pulpit  Maufier.  i8i 

To  attain  the  highest  power  in  direct  address  prac- 
tice is  absolutely  essential.  If  I  am  asked,  How  and 
when  you  shall  begin  ?  I  answer,  The  first  time  you 
preach  ;  and,  if  practicable,  before  a  small  audience. 
There  is,  certainly,  some  risk,  but  don't  stand  shiver- 
ing on  tlie  bank;  plunge  in  at  once.  Gilbert  Stuart, 
in  answer  to  a  question  as  to  how  young  artists  are 
to  commence  their  subjects,  is  reported  to  have  said  : 
"  Just  as  puppies  are  taught  to  swim — chuck  them 
in." 

In  the  appearance  and  manner  of  the  minister  in 
entering  the  pulpit  every  thing  careless  or  offensive 
should  be  avoided.  He  must  have  a  due  regard  to 
his  congregation,  and  a  proper  sense  of  conventional 
propriety.  He  must  avoid  all  affectation  of  manner, 
and  all  appearance  of  display.  An  air  of  indifference 
shows  his  utter  incompetency.  The  most  able 
speaker  feels  a  vast  responsibility  in  addressing  an 
audience  ;  much  more  the  minister,  upon  whose  words 
the  destiny  of  souls  may  depend.  The  most  earnest 
minister  trembles  at  the  responsibility  of  his  task, 
and  yields  only  to  his  conviction  of  the  divine  call. 
Saint  Cyran  said  :  "  I  would  rather  say  a  hundred 
masses  than  preach  one  sermon."  Luther  said  :  "  Al- 
though I  am  old  and  experienced  in  speaking,  I  trem- 
ble whenever  I  ascend  the  pulpit."  Gregory  of  Na- 
zianzen  speaks  of  the  "tempest  of  spirit"  which  a 
minister  experiences.  I  have  known  many  a  min- 
ister who  trembled  so  gieatly  that  vrith'  difficul'y  he 


1 82  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

ascended  the  pulpit  steps  ;  while,  in  other  cases,  the 
paleness  of  countenance  and  drops  of  cold  perspira- 
tion have  shown  the  intensity  of  the  mental  struggle. 
Nor  is  this  mental  pressure  wholly  unprofitable.  It 
leads  the  minister  to  a  sense  of  his  own  weakness 
and  helplessness  without  divine  aid.  It  brings  him 
near  the  throne  in  earnest  supplication.  This  mental 
intensity  also  gives  a  stimulus  to  thought ;  and  when 
mastered  by  the  preacher,  he  will  speak  in  a  loftier 
strain  and  with  more  spiritual  power.  Leaning  on 
the  divine  arm  for  strength,  he  will  have  less  regard 
to  the  opinions  of  his  congregation,  and  will  more 
earnestly  desire  to  proclaim  the  divine  message  in  all 
its  purity,  and  with  all  its  sanctions. 

The  proper  management  of  the  voice  is  of  great 
importance.  The  preacher  should  aim  to  speak  with 
sufficient  force  to  be  distinctly  heard  by  the  audience. 
To  do  this  successfully,  if  the  congregation  be  large, 
let  him  select  some  person  in  the  congregation  about 
two  thirds  of  the  extreme  distance  from  the  pulpit, 
and  let  him  speak  so  as  to  be  by  him  distinctly  heard, 
and  probably  all  the  assembly  will  then  hear,  though 
those  the  most  remote  may  need  to  be  very  attentive. 
But  better  they  should  have  a  slight  inconvenience, 
in  his  first  few  sentences,  than  that  his  voice  should 
break  through  overstraining.  This  precaution  is  nec- 
essary only  in  large  edifices  or  before  vast  audiences. 
In  ordinary  churches  the  force  employed  should  be 
such  as  at  once* to  fill  the  entire  room.     Care  should 


Tones  of  Voice.  183 

be  taken  that  the  pitch  should  be  as  nearly  as  possi- 
ble the  ordinary  tone  of  conversation,  as  this  produces 
less  weariness,  and  allows  a  greater  range  of  compass 
both  above  and  below.  This  variety  is  essential  to 
prevent  injury  to  the  vocal  organs, and  it  relieves  that 
monotonous  utterance  which  becomes  very  unpleas- 
ant to  the  congregation.  This  ordinary  pitch,  with 
variations  above  and  below,  gives  the  character  of 
naturalness.  Distinctness  of  syllabic  utterance  im- 
parts the  quality  termed  penetration,  or  of  carrying 
the  sound  to  the  greatest  possible  distance  without 
intermingling  with  other  sounds.  The  voice  should 
always  be  in  harmony  with  the  subject,  and  should 
indicate  the  earnest  love,  the  deep  solemnity,  and  the 
ardent  zeal,  of  the  preacher.  It  is  sometimes  called 
the  sympathetic  voice,  and  seems  to  blend  the  speaker 
both  with  his  subject  and  with  the  feelings  of  his 
audience.  He  stands  as  if  forgetting  himself,  and 
tries  to  bring  about  a  perfect  union  of  the  subject 
and  the  hearers.  The  degree  of  loudness  will  vary 
with  temperament  and  physical  force.  Whitefield's 
voice  had  such  penetrative  power  that  it  was  said 
that,  standing  on  the  steps  of  the  then  State-house  of 
Philadelphia,  some  of  his  words  could  be  distinctly 
heard  across  the  Delaware  River  in  Camden,  and  yet 
so  soft  and  musical  were  his  tones  that  they  were 
not  offensive  to  those  who  stood  near  him. 

In  varying  the  tones  of  the  voice,  a  free  use  of  the 
muscles  of  the  throat  and  neck  is  very  important. 


1 84  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

For  this  purpose  the  proper  movement  of  the  whole 
body  will  assist.  It  is  a  law  of  our  system  that  one 
set  of  muscles  continuously  employed  become  wea- 
ried, and  oftentimes  painful,  from  the  superabundance 
of  blood  which  flows  to  them.  This  is  illustrated  in 
that  weariness  of  the  limbs  which  is  often  felt  in 
climbing  a  long  succession  of  steps,  as  in  towers  or 
steeples,  or  in  the  strain  of  the  back  in  using  the 
sickle  in  the  harvest-field.  It  applies,  also,  to  the  del- 
icate and  sensitive  muscles  of  the  throat.  This  is  the 
chief  reason  why  the  voice  tires  more  readily  in  read- 
ing than  in  speaking.  The  book  held  in  one  position, 
with  the  eye  fastened  upon  it,  constrains,  to  some  ex- 
tent, the  vocal  organs.  In  my  own  experience  I 
have  found  that  I  cannot  read  aloud  at  night  without 
hoarseness  as  well  as  I  can  during  the  day.  In  the 
day-time  the  posture  is  easily  changed,  the  light  be- 
ing diffused  all  around  ;  but  in  reading  by  gas  or  can- 
dle-light the  book  must  be  held  in  one  position,  and 
consequently  the  posture  is  more  constrained.  In 
the  pulpit  more  force  must  be  exercised  than  in  or- 
dinary reading.  The  tension  of  the  muscles  is  great- 
er, the  flow  of  blood  is  more  abundant,  and,  conse- 
quently, the  danger  from  constraint  of  posture  is  in- 
creased. If  you  notice  political  speakers,  attorneys, 
or  statesmen,  they  give  to  their  bodies  a  free  play, 
and  hence,  though  they  make  long  speeches,  their 
throats  seldom  suffer.  If  you  notice  those  men  in  the 
ministry  who  gesticulate  the  most  freely,  who  change 


Preaching  not  bijurions.  185 

from  place  to  place  during  the  delivery  of  the  dis- 
course, you  will  find  that  they  talk  both  long  and  loud 
without  much  injury.  On  the  other  hand,  those  who 
confine  themselves  strictly  to  one  posture,  who  give 
themselves  little  freedom  of  motion,  are  much  more 
liable  to  be  affected  with  bronchitis.  Indeed,  I  think 
I  can  give  you  an  excellent  recipe  for  acquiring  this 
diseaLC.  First,  write  all  sermons  in  a  close,  fine  hand, 
which  may  be  difficult  to  read.  Secondly,  place  them 
on  a  pulpit  so  that  you  will  be  obliged  to  incline  the 
face  toward  the  manuscript,  and  to  keep  one  finger 
following  the  lines,  lest  you  lose  the  place  ;  then  with 
the  other  hand  attempt  to  gesticulate,  keeping  the 
eye  upon  the  page,  and  trying  to  glance  now  and 
then  on  the  congregation,  and,  my  word  for  it,  you 
can  have  a  first-rate  case  of  clerical  bronchitis  in  six 
months.  The  philosophy  in  this  case  is  that  to  which 
I  have  already  alluded.  The  difficulty  arises,  not 
from  reading,  but  from  the  constrained  position  of 
the  muscles  of  the  throat.  If,  in  spite  of  the  man- 
uscript, the  subject  is  inwrought  into  your  very 
being,  if  you  can  so  forget  yourself  that  you  can  throw 
yourself  with  your  thoughts  into  the  very  face  and 
eyes  of  the  congregation,  or  stand  erect,  or  move 
like  the  very  spirit  of  a  storm,  you  may  read  without 
injury. 

Preaching,  if  properly  practiced,  so  far  from  being 
injurious  to  the  voice,  is  invigorating  and  strength- 
ening.    If  the  voice  is  used  without  straining,  the 


1 86  Lfxtures  on  Preaching. 

more  frequently  one  preaches  the  better  for  the  lungs, 
especially  if  that  preaching  can  be  joined  with  exer- 
cise in  the  open  air.  Calvin,  who  was  unimpassioned, 
delivered  sermons,  addresses,  and  lectures,  speaking 
daily.  Luther,  who  was  full  of  emotion,  spoke  about 
as  frequently.  Wesley,  who  was  calm  and  quiet, 
though  earnest,  in  the  pulpit,  as  I  have  already  stated, 
preached  about  eight  hundred  sermons  a  year,  and 
in  a  protracted  ministry  of  over  fifty  years  probably 
preached  as  many  as  forty  thousand  times,  in  addi- 
tion to  all  his  writings,  publishing,  and  care  of  the 
Churches.  Whitefield,  who  was  a  perfect  tempest  in 
the  pulpit,  is  said  to  have  preached  about  eighteen 
thousand  sermons.  Nor  were  these  instances,  all  of 
them,  of  physical  robustness.  Mr.  Wesley  was  slender 
and  rather  delicate,  and  at  one  time  suffered  fronThem- 
orrhage,  and  it  was  supposed  would  die  of  consump- 
tion. It  is  unquestionably  true,  however,  that  some 
men,  by  their  unwise  and  unnecessary  vehemence, 
injure  their  vocal  powers — generally,  however,  as  I 
think,  more  from  errors  in  diet  and  habit,  than  from 
the  use  of  the  throat  and  lungs.  The  vehemence  of 
some  speakers,  though  to  a  certain  extent  impressive 
on  their  audience,  is  really  a  barrier  to  their  success. 
Cicero,  when  a  young  orator,  strained  his  voice,  and 
his  friends  advised  him  to  abandon  his  profession. 
Instead  of  this  he  traveled  abroad,  studied  under  the 
best  teachers,  conversed  with  the  best  speakers, 
learned  to  restrain  his  rapidity  of  utterance  and  his 


Power  of  the  Eye.  187 

impetuosity  of  manner,  and  returned  to  his  country 
■to  honor  it  with  his  oratory  ;  and  yet,  I  fancy,  there 
was  no  Httle  vehemence  displayed  in  those  orations 
against  Catahne.  The  same  trait  was  illustrated  in 
the  life  of  Dr.  Durbin,  who  filled  various  high  posi- 
tions in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  com- 
menced his  ministry  in  Kentucky,  a  youth  of  seven- 
teen ;  and  so  earnest  and  vehement  was  he  that  in  a 
few  months  his  voice  gave  way.  His  desire  to  do  good, 
however,  was  so  intense,  that,  when  scarcely  able  to 
more  than  whisper,  he  visited  the  humblest  cabins  of 
the  primitive  settlers  and  the  quarters  of  the  negroes, 
and,  sitting  down  by  their  firesides,  talked  to  them 
of  Jesus,  and  explained  to  them  the  way  of  salvation. 
In  this  quiet  work  his  voice  gradually  recovered,  and 
it  gave  him  that  peculiar  manner  which  served  as  a 
background  for  those  inimitable  bursts  of  oratory 
which,  for  long  years,  made  him  second  in  the  pulpit 
to  no  man  in  America. 

The  eye  has  an  immense  influence  over  a  congre- 
gation. It  often  speaks  the  feelings  in  advance  of 
words.  People  are  anxious  not  only  to  hear,  but  to 
see,  the  preacher,  and  this  power  of  the  eye  is  one  of 
the  great  elements  of  oratory  ;  yet  other  qualities 
may  lead  to  great  excellence  and  power  without  this. 
Blind  men  are  sometimes  very  eloquent.  Bourda- 
loue,  who  was  famous  for  oratory,  kept  his  eyes  almost 
closed  lest  he  might  be  diverted  from  thinking  of  the 
matter  of  his  sermons  which  he   had  carefully  pre- 


i88  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

pared.  I  have  known  some  eminent  ministers  who 
looked  above  the  heads  of  their  congregations  as  if 
they  were  examining  the  structure  of  the  ceiling,  and 
others  who  kept  their  eyes  closed,  or  nearly  so,  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  sermon.  In  every  case,  how- 
ever, their  power  over  the  audience  was  diminished 
by  that  fact.  The  true  orator  looks  at  his  congrega- 
tion, though  in  some  of  his  pictures  and  in  intense 
mental  feeling  he  is  for  the  moment  oblivious  of  any 
thing  which  might  occur.  Still,  his  look  is  toward 
his  audience,  his  thoughts  are  directed  toward  them, 
and,  except  in  these  periods  of  absorption^  a  mental 
and  spiritual  communion  is  maintained  between  the 
speaker  and  his  congregation. 

The  value  of  earnestness  cannot  be  too  strongly 
stated.  St.  Augustine  says  :  "  It  is  more  by  the  Chris- 
tian fervor  of  his  sermons  than  by  any  endowment  of 
his  intellect  that  the  minister  must  hope  to  inform 
the  understanding,  catch  the  affections,  and  bend  the 
will  of  his  hearers."  In  various  ages  men  have  ap- 
peared who  by  their  earnestness  have  roused  whole 
multitudes,  and  even  nations,  to  activity.  This  ear- 
nestness is  not  to  be  evinced  merely  in  motion,  but 
in  each  and  every  step  of  the  preparation  and  deliv- 
ery of  the  sermon  ;  earnestness  in  reading  ;  earnest- 
ness in  writing  ;  earnestness  in  prayer  ;  earnestness 
in  clearness  and  distinctness  and  force  of  enuncia- 
tion ;  earnestness  in  managing  the  vocal  organs,  and 
earnestness  in  addressing  the  congregation  in  view  of 


Requisites  for  Speaking.  1 89 

the  immense  issues  constantly  at  stake.  A  mother 
is  in  earnest  when  she  pleads  in  tears  with  her  way- 
ward boy.  A  father  is  in  earnest  when,  from  a  dying 
bed,  he  gives  his  last  messages  to  his  weeping  chil- 
dren. Mr.  Wesley  was  remarkable  for  his  general 
quietness  of  manner,  and  yet  his  congregations  felt 
and  sympathized  with  the  deep  earnestness  of  his 
spirit.  What  is  usually  termed  unction  comes  from 
a  heart  filled  with  love  to  God  and  man,  and  a  voice 
and  manner  brought  into  perfect  harmony  with  that 
mental  and  spiritual  state.  It  is  impossible  to  con- 
vey in  words  what  this  harmony  is.  It  is  a  percept- 
ible, but  indescribable,  concord  between  the  subject 
and  language  employed,  and  the  tone  of  voice  and 
sympathy  of  spirit  manifested  in  the  entire  move- 
ment of  the  speaker.  As  this  mental  state  is  kindled 
very  largely  by  prayer,  so  it  harmonizes  with  a  prayer- 
ful utterance  and  a  prayerful  spirit. 

The  two  great  requisites  for  ready  and  correct  ex» 
temporaneous  speaking  are  a  command  of  language 
and  self-possession.  This  command  of  language  may 
be  best  gained  in  two  ways  :  First,  by  the  practice  of 
translating  aloud,  especially  of  reading  in  company  a 
work  v/ritten  in  some  foreign  language.  This  was 
recommended  strongly  by  the  elder  Pitt,  and  has  in 
some  form  been  practiced  by  many  eminent  writers 
and  speakers.  Dr.  Franklin  was  accustomed,  when 
a  young  man,  to  read  one  of  Addison's  essays,  and, 
holding  the  ideas  in  his  mind,  to  write  them  out  in 


190  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

his  own  language,  and  then  compare  them  with  those 
of  Addison  :  this  was  a  species  of  translation.  With- 
out any  thought  of  its  influence  on  my  future  life,  I 
acquired  the  habit  when  a  youth  of  reading  aloud  to 
my  friends  from  books  in  any  language  I  studied,  what- 
ever I  found  to  be  either  very  beautiful  or  very  inter- 
esting. Especially  was  this  the  case  with  the  writ- 
ings of  Xenophon,  and  the  orations  of  Demosthenes, 
Virgil's  "^neid,"  and  F(^nelon's  "Telemachus."  It 
was,  also,  my  practice  for  a  number  of  years  to  read  in 
family  worship  from  the  original  languages,  thus  ac- 
customing myself  to  instantaneous  choice  of  words  to 
express  the  ideas  of  the  writers.  This  practice,  how- 
ever, while  giving  me  greater  command  of  language, 
may  not  have  made  me  quite  so  familiar  with  the 
idiomatic  structure  of  other  languages  ;  at  least,  T 
never  advanced  as  far  as  the  sophomore  who,  descant- 
ing on  the  study  of  Latin,  said  that  he  could  think  bet- 
ter in  Latin.  I  confess  that  all  my  life  my  thinking 
has  been  in  English.  Another  method  is  to  hold  per- 
sonal religious  conversation  with  individuals.  The 
process  of  explaining  to  one  attentive  mind  some 
passage  of  Scripture,  some  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  or 
urging  motives  for  immediate  personal  action,  im- 
parts a  directness  of  address  and  a  readiness  of  lan- 
guage which  will  be  of  great  service  in  the  pulpit. 
There  is  philosophy  as  well  as  piety  in  visiting  those 
who  are  sick  and  in  prison,  and  in  going  out  into  the 
highways  and  hedges  and  compelling  men  to  come  to 


Self -possess  ion.  19 1 

the  feast  of  love.  To  acquire  chasteness  and  beauty 
of  language  some  have  recommended  the  reading  of 
Cowper  or  Milton,  or  some  poet  who  has  written  on 
religious  topics,  a  half  hour  before  entering  the  pul- 
pit, that  the  mind  may  be  carried  in  this  elevated 
strain  to  its  pulpit  work.  I  would  greatly  prefer, 
however,  spending  that  period  in  reading  the  words 
of  Jesus  or  of  inspired  penmen. 

Self-possession  can  best  be  gained  by  having  the 
mind  filled  with  the  thoughts  of  the  wonderful  mes- 
sage about  to  be  delivered,  and  the  responsibility 
connected  with  it.  If  one  feels  that  God  is  present, 
and  the  words  are  spoken  for  him,  the  timidity  aris- 
ing from  the  presence  of  the  audience  will  vanish. 
It  is  well,  also,  not  to  keep  in  mind  the  distinguished 
men  who  may  chance  to  be  present,  but  to  speak  for 
the  benefit  of  the  masses.  Luther  said  that  he  did 
not  think  of  the  doctors  or  professors,  of  whom  he 
had  some  forty,  but  he  addressed  his  sermons  to  the 
masses  of  the  working-people,  of  whom  there  were 
some  two  thousand.  Young  men  are  prone  to  ask 
themselves,  what  will  this  doctor,  or  that  judge,  or 
this  professor,  say .''  and  their  preaching  will  then  al- 
most insensibly  be  framed  to  gain  the  approval  of 
their  most  distinguished  hearers. 

Now,  let  me  whisper  to  you  two  things  :  First,  as 
a  general  rule,  distinguished  politicians  are  very  poor 
judges  of  preaching.  They  study  almost  every  thing 
else  more  than  their  Bibles,  and  hence  make  a  sorry 


192  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

attempt  at  quoting  Scripture — like  a  former  Govern- 
or of  Texas,  who  said,  in  his  message  congratulating 
the  Legislature  upon  the  hopeful  aspect  of  the  coun- 
try :  "  To  use  the  language  of  the  Holy  Scripture, 
Now  is  the  winter  of  our  discontent  made  glorious 
by  the  summer  sun."  The  other  thing  I  would 
whisper  to  you  is  this :  The  most  learned  and 
thoughtful  men,  especially  in  theology,  are  the  most 
lenient  critics.  It  is  true,  if  you  discuss  doctrines  and 
advance  heretical  ideas,  or  if  you  attempt  classical  al- 
lusions and  are  not  accurate,  they  will  at  once  detect 
you  ;  but  if  you  keep  within  the  range  of  ordinary 
discussion,  and  aim  to  do  good,  you  will  have  no 
kindlier  hearers.  They  know  the  difficulties  of  speak- 
ing, and  are  ready  to  make  every  proper  allowance. 
They  do  not  expect  you  to  make  sermons  for  them, 
but  for  the  common  people.  Indeed,  the  greatest 
men  are  generally  fond  of  the  plainest  diet  at  the 
table  and  of  the  simplest  thoughts  in  the  pulpit.  So 
far  as  captious  or  unkind  criticism  is  concerned,  I 
would  much  rather  speak  before  your  learned  and 
honored  faculty  than  before  a  class  of  recently  ini- 
tiated freshmen. 

You  will  never  attain,  however,  to  full  self-posses- 
sion in  the  pulpit  without  thorough  self-abnegation. 
You  must  be  so  intent  on  the  message  as  to  lose 
sight  of  yourselves  ;  you  must  lose  the  desire  to  be 
counted  a  great  thinker  or  a  popular  speaker ;  you 
must  become   absorbed   in    your  glorious   work  for 


Gesticulation.  193 

Christ,  and  must  feel  that  you  are  polishing  gems 
for  him,  that  you  are  building  a  temple  for  his  glory. 
This  intensity  of  feeling,  this  conception  of  the 
grandeur  of  your  work,  will  make  your  memory  more 
retentive,  your  mind  more  active,  and  yourself  less 
prominent.  The  question,  probably,  occurs  to  some 
of  you.  Shall  the  mind  not  then  be  occupied  with  a 
choice  of  words  while  speaking.''  I  answer:  Not 
directly  ;  think  nothing  of  the  precise  words  you  are 
to  use.  They  will  come,  born  of  the  idea  and  of  in- 
tense feeling,  but  will  be  the  result  of  your  previous 
discipline  and  culture.  If  you  should  chance  to 
stumble,  do  not  stop  to  go  back,  but  press  on,  fol- 
lowing Whitefield's  rule,  never  to  correct  any  thing 
unless  it  was  wicked.  The  same  rule  that  I  apply  to 
words  I  would  apply  to  gesticulation.  Never  try  to 
make  a  gesture.  Those  only  are  natural  which  come 
of  themselves.  The  man  who  is  full  of  his  subject, 
whose  heart  is  burning  for  utterance,  if  his  feelings 
are  not  restrained,  will  generally  gesticulate  ear- 
nestly. See  a  crowd  of  school-boys  excited,  and  how 
earnestly  they  gesticulate.  They  speak  all  over. 
See  brokers  in  a  stock  exchange.  How  they  are 
wrought  into  a  perfect  frenzy,  elevating  their  voice, 
extending  their  hands  and  arms,  and  making  the 
wildest  gestures  !  If  ministers  were  to  be  half  as 
much  excited  in  the  pulpit  as  these  brokers  are  in 
the  exchange,  the  world  would  pronounce  them  mad. 

In  gesticulation,  as  in  language,  the  discipline  and 
J3 


194  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

culture  should  be  preparatory.  Elocution,  so  far  as 
the  proper  use  of  the  voice,  and  so  far  as  avoiding 
improper  gestures,  are  concerned,  should  be  studied 
previously,  but  no  thought  should  be  bestowed  upon 
it  at  the  moment.  I  know  we  are  told  that  actors 
study  every  word,  and  prepare  every  gesture  before 
a  glass  ;  and  why  not  ministers  .■'  Is  not  their  work 
much  more  important .''  The  difference  is,  the  min- 
ister is  original.  He  gives  expression  to  his  own 
words  and  to  his  own  feelings  ;  he  has  simply  to  be 
true  to  himself.  The  actor  is  not  thinking  of  him- 
self; he  has  no  thoughts,  no  feelings,  of  his  own  ;  he 
familiarizes  himself  with  the  thoughts  of  others 
through  their  words,  and  strives  to  imitate  the  ex- 
pression of  their  feelings  through  his  actions.  His 
highest  glory  is  to  speak  and  act  just  as  they  are 
supposed  to  have  spoken  and  acted.  All  his  study 
and  all  his  preparation  bring  him  just  to  the  point 
whence  the  minister  starts,  if  his  heart  be  full  of  his 
subject,  and  if  he  feels  his  deep  responsibility. 

While  I  earnestly  recommend  the  study  of  elocu- 
tion as  a  preparatory  discipline,  I  once  more  caution 
you  against  imitation.  Improve  your  own  voice,  but 
do  not  try  to  copy  the  voices  of  others.  I  have 
knoiji^n  some  young  ministers  who  have  lost  their 
sprightliness  and  vigor  of  utterance  in  attempting 
to  acquire  a  deep  and  sonorous  mode  of  utterance : 
and  students  from  different  schools  of  theology 
and  different  colleges  or  universities  can  frequently 


Personal  Experience.  1 9  5 

be  distinguished  from  each  other  by  the  manner 
and  intonation  acquired  in  their  elocutionary  exer- 
cises. 

For  myself  I  never  had  any  difficulty  in  finding 
simple  language  to  express  my  thoughts  ;  and,  owing 
to  the  manner  in  which  I  commenced,  I  sought  for 
little  else.  My  great  anxiety  to  reach  some  hearts 
early  led  me  to  forget,  in  great  measure,  the  presence 
of  men  of  superior  intellect  and  commanding  position. 
My  voice  seemed  in  every  way  unfit  for  a  public 
speaker.  It  was  weak,  slender,  and  the  pitch  was 
high,  tending  to  falsetto,  and  hence  easily  cracked  or 
broken.  By  close  applicatioii  to  study  I  had  become 
stooped  ;  my  lungs  were  weak,  I  was  troubled  with  a 
cough,  and  many  of  my  friends  feared  that  I  was 
tending  to  consumption.  I  spoke  because  I  must 
speak.  At  the  end  of  my  first  year  physicians  ad- 
vised me  to  desist,  or  I  would  probably  not  live  more 
than  a  year.  I  was  junior  preacher  on  a  six- weeks' 
circuit,  on  which  I  preached  twenty-eight  times  in 
the  round.  Not  satisfied  with  this  amount  of  work, 
I  assisted  in  taking  up  six  additional  appointments, 
making  thirty-four.  One  of  these  appointments  was 
in  a  small  village,  in  the  house  of  a  humble  widow, 
and  the  rooni  would  not  accommodate  more  than 
twenty  people.  On  my  second  and  last  visit  I  was 
informed  that  a  physician,  who  was  said  to  be  an  in- 
fidel, but  a  man  of  talent,  desired  to  see  me,  as  he 
thought  he  could  be  of  some  service  by  directions  as 


196  Lectures  on  Preaching, 

to  health.  I  called  upon  hhn.  He  said  he  had  heard 
I  was  in  feeble  health,  and  as  he  had  suffered  greatly 
for  years,  but  had  recovered,  he  thought  possibly  he 
could  give  me  some  simple  suggestions.  I  was 
pleased  with  his  general  advice,  and  at  the  close  of 
the  interview  asked  him  what  he  thought  of  my  con- 
tinuing to  preach  .-'  He  answered,  that  as  to  the  re- 
ligious question  he  had  nothing  to  say,  but,  simply 
as  a  physician,  his  advice  would  be  for  me  to  ride 
eight  or  ten  miles  and  preach  once  every  day.  The 
suggestion  harmonized  so  perfectly  with  my  own 
feelings  that  I  resolved  to  follow  it ;  and  the  only  re- 
quest I  ever  made  for  any  appointment  was,  on  ac- 
count of  my  weak  lungs  and  the  necessity  of  exer- 
cise, that  I  might  have  an  appointment  where  I  could 
ride  eight  or  ten  miles  and  preach  every  day.  My 
presiding  elder  prom.ised  me  his  full  concurrence 
and  his  heartiest  efforts,  and  he  had  no  doubt  of  suc- 
cess ;  but  when  the  appointments  were  read  out  at 
the  close  of  Conference  I  was  sent  to  the  city  of 
Pittsburgh,  with  its  thick  coal  smoke  and  dust,  amid 
the  prevalence  of  the  cholera.  My  friends  were 
fearful  and  disheartened,  but  I  believe  it  to  be  of 
God,  and  went.  My  health  was  preserved  by  careful 
attention  to  diet  and  exercise  and  regular  hours,  and 
by  abundance  of  preaching  and  pastoral  visiting. 
My  voice  gradually  strengthened,  and,  though  never 
musical,  acquired  power  to  address  the  largest  con- 
gregations.    My  conviction  to-day  is,  that  had  I  not 


Personal  Experie7ice.  197 

preached  I  should,  in  all  probability,  have  fallen  an 
early  victim  to  bronchial  or  pulmonary  disease.  Often 
when  called  upon  to  face  danger,  that  passage  has 
seemed  to  ring  in  my  ears,  "  Whosoever  will  save  his 
life  shall  lose  it :  and  whosoever  will  lose  his  life  for 
my  sake  shall  find  it." 


198  Lectures  on  Preaching. 


LECTURE    VIL 

MINISTERIAL  POWER. 

T)REACHERS  greatly  differ,  not  only  in  the  mat- 
-■-  ter  and  manner  of  their  sermons,  but,  also,  in  the 
results  which  are  achieved.  This  is  especially  true  in 
the  reformation  and  conversion  of  souls,  and  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom.  The  ele- 
ment which  gives  success  is  termed  ministerial  power. 
It  is  so  subtle  and  spiritual  in  its  character  as  to 
be  beyond  the  reach  of  clear  definition  or  explanation. 
The  term,  however,  is  scriptural,  and,  though  some- 
what indefinite,  we  have  nothing  more  expressive.  It 
is  a  quality  without  which  sermonizing  is  useless, 
and  for  which  every  young  minister  should,  therefore, 
most  sincerely  and  earnestly  strive. 

St.  Paul  declares  the  Gospel  to  be  "  the  power  of 
God  unto  salvation,"  evidently  using  the  phrase  as  in 
contrast  with,  and  superior  to,  the  power  of  Rome — 
then  the  greatest  nation  in  the  world.  It  is  a  system 
of  power  because  of  the  influence  which  it  exercises 
not  only  on  the  hearts  and  lives  of  men,  but,  also,  on 
the  growth  and  destiny  of  nations.  The  apostle 
speaks  of  this  power  as  being  present  in  his  ministry, 
when  he  says,  "  Whcreunto  I  also  labor,  striving  ac- 


AntJiority  and  Pozvcr.  199 

cording  to  his  working,  which  worketh  in  me  might- 
ily," or  with  power.  It  is,  also,  compared  to  the  power 
which  raised  the  Lord  Jesus  from  the  dead  ;  and  the 
apostle  says,  "  Most  gladly,  therefore,  will  I  rather  glo- 
ry in  my  infirmities,  that  the  power  of  Christ  may  rest 
upon  me."  The  word  "power,"  as  used  in  our  En- 
glish version,  is  represented  in  the  Greek  Testament 
by  several  distinct  words.  One  of  these  is  kratos,  or 
its  collateral  forms,  which  signifies  strength,  or  the 
manifestation  of  physical  force.  The  two  chief  forms, 
however,  are,  exousia  and  dunamis.  The  first  of  these 
indicates  authority  as  exercised  or  conferred  by  a 
ruler,  and  seems  to  intimate  official  privilege  or  pre- 
rogative, thus:  "All  power  is  given  unto  me  in 
heaven  and  in  earth  ; "  "  To  them  gave  he  power  to 
become  the  sons  of  God;"  and  Christ  gave  to  his 
disciples  "  power  over  unclean  spirits,  and  to  heal  .all 
manner  of  sickness."  Their  official  prerogatives  and 
their  miraculous  endowments  are  in  all  cases  ex- 
pressed by  the  word  exousia,  though  in  a  few  cases 
dunamis  is  joined  with  it.  Ministerial  power  is  every- 
where expressed  by  the  word  dunamis,  as  in  St.  Luke  : 
"  Tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be  en- 
dued with  power  from  on  high."  The  same  word  is 
-  used  in  the  pentecostal  scene,  and  is  employed  by 
the  apostles  to  express  the  spiritual  power  of  the 
ministry,  as  :  "  God  hath  not  given  us  the  spirit  of 
fear,  but  of  power,  and  of  love,  and  of  a  sound  mind  ;  " 
and   "  My   speech  and  my   preaching   was   not   with 


200  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom,  but  in  demonstra- 
tion of  the  Spirit,  and  of  power:  that  your  faith 
should  not  stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  but  in  the 
power  of  God."  As  to  preaching,  he  says  :  "  For  the 
preaching  of  the  cross  is  to  them  that  perish,  foolish- 
ness :  but  unto  us  which  are  saved,  it  is  the  power  of 
God."  The  word  thus  employed  indicates  a  power 
bestowed  upon  the  individual  as  a  divine  gift,  not  for 
his  own  edification,  merely  or  chiefly,  but  as  a  force 
working  through  him  on  the  hearts  of  others.  If  I 
may  use  the  phrase,  this  ministerial  power  is  a 
moral  dynamite,  intrusted  with  the  minister,  and,  to 
a  certain  extent,  with  every  working  Christian,  which 
is  superadded  to  his  personal  religious  experience. 
This  was  emphatically  true  of  the  apostles.  Three 
years  they  had  been  with  Christ ;  they  had  seen  his 
spirit  and  heard  his  teachings.  Some  of  them  had 
been  with  him  on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration,  and 
had  beheld  his  glory.  They  had  been  placed  in  the 
apostleship,  and  had  received  the  gift  of  working 
miracles,  and  yet  they  were  to  wait  for  "  power  from 
on  high." 

This  power,  then,  is  not  synonymous  with  conver- 
sion. Jesus  had  recognized  the  disciples  as  not  serv- 
ants, but  friends.  He  had  chosen  them  out  of 
the  world,  and  had  comforted  them  with  the  assur- 
ance of  his  richest  blessings.  After  they  had  for- 
saken him  in  the  hour  of  terror,  and  had  fled,  they 
were  not  forgotten  of  him.      Pie  came  to  them,  in  the. 


Not  Religions  yoy.  20I 

upper  room  in  the  demonstration  of  love,  showed 
unto  them  his  hands  and  his  side,  and  said,  "  Peace 
be  unto  you."  Those  words  of  peace  had  the  accents 
of  forgiving  love  ;  and  who  can  doubt  that,  "  being 
justified  by  faith,  they  had  peace  with  God  ?  "  More 
than  this,  he  breathed  on  them,  and  said,  "  Receive 
ye  the  Holy  Ghost."  Who  could  desire  more  for  his 
own  experience  than  to  feel  the  breath  of  a  triumpli- 
ant  Saviour,  and  to  receive  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy 
Ghost ! 

Nor  is  it  the  same  with  the  highest  possible  condi- 
tion of  religious  joy.  They  were  "  glad  when  they  saw 
the  Lord."  Even  the  last  doubts  had  been  dispelled 
from  the  heart  of  Thomas.  For  forty  days  they  had 
frequently  seen  him  ;  they  had  heard  him  "speaking 
of  the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God." 
They  beheld  him  ascend  from  Mount  Olivet  to  glory, 
and  angels  standing  "  by  them  "  spoke  of  his  coming 
again.  Could  they  be  happier }  The  cross,  the 
agony,  the  sepulcher,  have  all  vanished  ;  an  ascend- 
ing Saviour,  a  cloud  of  glory,  angelic  promises,  are  in 
their  stead.  Then  "  they  worshiped  him,  and  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem  with  great  joy  :  and  were  con- 
tinually in  the  temple,  praising  and  blessing  God." 
What  supreme  bliss !  and  yet  it  is  not  ministerial 
power. 

Nor  is  it  a  call  or  a  commission  to  preach  the 
Gospel.  That  they  had  previously  received.  After 
his  resurrection,  when  he  first  spoke  peace,  he  said  : 


202  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

"As  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you.'" 
And  before  his  ascension  he  uttered  the  great  com- 
mission, "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the 
Gospel  to  every  creature."  Yet  with  this  rich  ex- 
perience, and  this  grand  commission,  the  direction 
comes  :  "  Tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  until  ye 
be  endued  with  power  from  on  high." 

If  we  endeavor  to  analyze  the  elements  of  this 
power  in  itself,  I  think  we  shall  fail.  It  is  spiritual 
and  invisible.  All  we  can  do  is  to  trace  the  circum- 
stances under  which  this  power  is  given,  and  the  re- 
sults which  flow  from  it.  Indeed,  power  is  in  its 
nature  indescribable.  It  is  known  simply  by  its  re- 
sults. Gravitation,  that  greatest  of  all  material 
powers,  ceaselessly  active,  every-where  potent,  is 
wholly  beyond  our  research,  or  even  our  conception. 
Where  are  those  cords,  stronger  than  steel,  which 
bind  the  planets  to  their  centers  ?  Where  are  those 
unseen  ties  that,  like  a  universal  net- work,  envelop 
every  atom  in  the  air,  and  make  it  fall  to  the  earth, 
and  not  merely  to  the  earth,  but  in  a  direct  line  to- 
ward the  center  of  the  earth,  though  it  be  thousands 
of  miles  away,  and  can  never  be  reached  .-'  It  seems 
an  emblem  of  God,  filling  all  space,  operating  through 
all  matter.  If  the  dream  of  astronomers  be  true,  that 
not  only  secondaries  surround  their  planets,  and 
planets  their  suns,  but  that  suns  revolve  around  the 
center  of  immense  systems,  and  all  these  centers 
through   the  immensity   of   space  move    round   one 


Power  Invisible.  203 

great  center,  who  can  even  conceive  the  magnitude 
of  a  force  that  can  thus  operate  through  infinite 
space  with  precisely  the  same  law  of  attraction  for 
vast  worlds  and  for  infinitesimal  atoms  ?  It  is  a 
force  never  seen,  and  yet  it  operates  alike  in  the  sun- 
shine and  in  the  dark.  It  is  never  heard,  and  yet  it 
sends  its  myriads  of  worlds  singing  and  shining  on 
their  way.  He  who  made  that  power  by  the  word 
of  his  Spirit  gives  that  Spirit  to  work  in  us  and 
through  us.  Nor  is  it  the  only  exhibition  of  power. 
Consider  the  chemical  affinity  that  draws  together 
the  acids  and  the  alkalies.  With  what  constant  and 
unseen  power  does  it  operate  !  Think  of  that  mag- 
netic power  which  makes  the  steel  filings,  though  in 
a  mass  of  dust  and  rubbish,  and  clippings  of  tin  and 
brass,  leave  them  all  and  fiy  up  and  kiss  the  magnet. 
It  touches  that  pivoted  needle,  and  lives  and  treasure 
are  secure  upon  the  stormy  ocean  in  the  darkest 
night  by  its  unerring  guidance.  The  winds  blow 
ever  so  fiercely,  the  cold  comes  ever  so  freezingly, 
the  waves  roll  ever  so  furiously,  and  the  vessel  pitches 
and  sinks  as  though  it  would  be  submerged  ;  and  yet 
that  strange  influence,  unseen,  unheeded,  unfelt  even 
by  the  most  sensitive  nerves,  holds  the  needle  in  its 
place.  Who  can  tell  what  is  power  .-*  We  see  it  in 
its  effects,  we  measure  it  in  its  results.  So  with 
spiritual  power.  We  cannot  tell  "  whence  it  cometh, 
or  whither  it  goeth  ;"  but  it  breathes  upon  the  human 
spirit — the  stormy  passions  subside  ;  falsehood,  fraud, 


204  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

lust,  and  avarice  disappear  ;  and  truth,  purity,  meek- 
ness, and  love  reign  supreme  in  tlie  soul.  It  is  a 
transmutation  beyond  what  the  philosopher  sought 
in  the  fabled  stone  whose  touch  would  transmute  into 
gold.  It  is  a  new  creation  from  the  breath  of  Him 
who  created  all  worlds  and  breathed  into  all  spirits. 
Spiritual  power  is  not  beauty  of  presence  nor  dignity 
of  form.  It  is  not  learning,  nor  rhetoric,  nor  logic, 
nor  oratory  ;  but  it  can  use  these  for  its  one  great 
end.  It  can  burn  and  shine  in  the  highest  periods 
of  the  most  eloquent  speaker,  and  it  can  thrill  in  the 
accents  of  the  unlettered  man.  It  can  invest  the 
words  that  drop  from  the  mother's  lips,  and  it  can 
wing  the  lispings  of  the  little  child.  It  can  use  all 
there  is  of  a  human  being,  and  of  his  acquirements, 
for  the  glory  of  God  and  for  the  advancement  of  his 
Church. 

This  spiritual  force,  in  its  highest  human  mani- 
festation, is  ministerial  power.  It  employs  and  util- 
izes all  other  forms  as  its  agents.  It  uses  the  power 
of  thought,  which  is  immense  in  its  character — the 
thoughts  not  only  of  good  men,  but  of  angels  and  of 
God — thoughts  which  were  from  eternity,  and  thoughts 
which  shall  triumph  when  earth's  history  shall  have 
closed.  It  uses  the  power  of  language  in  all  its  mul- 
tifarious forms.  Its  tongue  of  iire  is  to  preach  among 
all  nations,  and  to  carry  to  every  heart,  through  its 
own  peculiar  idiomatic  expressions,  the  knowledge  of 
the  power  and  love  of  God.     It  employs  oratory  in 


Power'  of  Oratory.  205 

its  highest  efficiency  ;  and  how  great  is  that  influence 
which  man  may  exercise  over  liis  fellow-man  !  List- 
en to  the  eloquence  of  Demosthenes,  as  he  stirred 
the  people  of  Athens,  as  a  sea  is  stirred  by  the  storm, 
with  his  wonderful  Philippics.  See  how  Cicero 
moved  the  Roman  people  and  the  Roman  Senate. 
Look  at  the  power  of  Peter  the  Hermit,  arousing  the 
nations  of  Europe  to  that  fearful  Crusade  ;  the  power 
which  such  men  as  Burke  and  Fox  and  Pitt  and 
Sheridan  displayed  in  the  British  Parliament  ;  the 
power  which  Napoleon  exercised  over  his  soldiers  by 
his  short,  fiery  speeches,  as  he  pointed  to  the  enemy 
on  the  battle-fields  of  Europe,  or  called  thetn  to  be- 
hold how  forty  centuries  looked  down  upon  them  from 
the  top  of  the  pyramids  of  Egypt.  If  there  be,  as  is 
claimed  by  some,  a  magnetic  power  which  kindles  in 
the  eye  and  sparkles  responsively  from  the  speaker 
to  the  hearer,  and  from  the  hearer  to  the  speaker — if 
there  be  some  subtle  current  •  established  between 
them  which  is  manifested  in  the  energy  of  the 
speaker  and  the  rapt  attention  of  the  hearer — an  in- 
describable force  flowing  in  some  way  from  the  in- 
tensity of  a  soul  speaking  to  souls,  all  that  power  is 
subservient  to  the  true  and  faithful  minister. 

In  examining  this  promised  power  from  on  high, 
its  first  characteristic  is  that  it  proceeds  from  the 
Father.  Jesus  said,  "  Behold,  I  send  the  promise  of 
my  Father  upon  you  ; "  and  again,  "  Wait  for  the 
promise  of  the  Father,  which  ye  have  heard  of  me." 


2o6  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

Why  was  it  called  the  promise  of  the  Father  ?  One 
reason,  doubtless,  was  that  it  had  been  foretold  by 
Joel  and  Isaiah  before  the  coming  of  Christ.  Another 
reason,  probably,  was  that  when  Christ  promised  the 
Comforter,  he  said,  "  Whom  the  Father  shall  send 
in  my  name,"  and  again,  "  Which  proceedeth  from 
the  Father."  Just  at  this  point  arises  the  great 
''filioq;ie''  question  which  has  divided  the  Eastern 
and  Western  Churches,  but  which  I  pause  not  to 
notice.  The  expression,  also,  may  indicate  the  won- 
derful works  to  be  wrought  under  the  Gospel  dispen- 
sation. The  "power  from  on  high"  was  to  be  a 
power  like  that  occasionally  seen  in  ancient  times. 
Indeed,  the  Old  Testament  is  largely  a  revelation  of 
the  power  of  God  as  working  upon  many  classes  of 
people,  and  under  a  great  variety  of  circumstances. 
The  call  and  preservation  of  Abraham,  the  deliver- 
ance of  the  Israelites,  their  preservation  in  the  wil- 
derness, their  entrance  into  Canaan,  and  their  sub- 
sequent history,  abound  with  wonderful  displays  of 
the  power  of  God  among  the  highest  and  the  lowest, 
among  princes  and  subjects,  prophets  and  priests, 
men  and  women  in  every  employment  in  life.  Among 
these  wonderful  displays  those  connected  with  wor- 
ship have  an  intense  interest.  The  word  of  the  Lord 
on  Mount  Sinai  made  the  people  to  quake  and  fear. 
When  the  tabernacle  was  set  up  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  appeared  unto  all  the  people,  "  and  there  came 
a  fire  out  from  before  the  Lord,  and  consumed  upon 


Science  and  Art  Preparatory.  207 

the  altar  the  burnt-offering  and  the  fat :  which  when 
all  the  people  saw,  they  shouted,  and  fell  upon  their 
faces."  So  when  Solomon  had  finished  the  temple, 
and  the  sacrifices  were  set  in  order,  and  he  had  of- 
fered prayer,  "  the  fire  came  down  from  heaven,  and 
consumed  the  burnt-offering  and  the  sacrifice  ;  "  "  and 
when  all  the  children  of  Israel  saw  how  the  fire 
came  down,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  upon  the 
house,  they  bowed  themselves  with  their  faces  to  the 
ground  upon  the  pavement,  and  worshiped,  and  praised 
the  Lord,  saying,  For  he  is  good  ;  for  his  mercy  en- 
dureth  forever."  So  when  at  Carmel,  at  the  prayer 
of  Elijah,  the  fire  of  the  Lord  fell  and  consumed  the 
burnt  sacrifice,  the  people  "  fell  on  their  faces  :  and 
they  said,  The  Lord,  he  is  the  God  ;  the  Lord,  he  is 
the  God."  Under  the  influence  of  such  a  scene  the 
people  took  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  prophets  of 
Baal  and  they  were  slain,  notwithstanding  Ahab,  who 
was  their  friend  and  patron,  had  all  the  power  of 
the  sovereign.  The  revelation  of  the  Father  was  one 
of  power.     "Our  God  is  a  consuming  fire." 

Strangely,  too,  the  movements  of  science,  art,  and  ■, 
commerce  seem  to  wait  on  ministerial  life.  Printing  1 
had  just  been  invented  in  time  to  give  the  Bible  to 
the  people  in  the  era  of  the  Reformation.  The 
magnetic  needle  was  applied  to  navigation  to  send 
that  Bible  and  its  ministers  to  all  lands.  The  spirit 
of  exploration,  which  has  sought  for  every  island, 
and  is  even  now  treading  the  pathways  of  central 


2o8  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

Africa,  and  of  the  steppes  of  Asia  ;  the  study  of  all 
languages,  and  the  preparation  of  grammars  and  lexi- 
cons ;  the  knowledge  of  the  currents  of  the  sea  and 
of  the  air,  of  the  power  of  steam  and  of  electricity  ; 
the  very  unbraiding  of  the  sunbeams  to  read  what  is 
written  between  the  strands — all  these,  with  many 
others,  are  so  many  voices  of  nature  crying,  "  Pre- 
pare ye  the  way  of  the  Lord."  They  are  so  many 
indications,  that  when  man  will  carry  God's  message, 
all  the  power  of  omnipotence  waits  on  his  service. 
Instead  of  the  gift  of  tongues,  there  is  the  translation 
of  the  Bible ;  instead  of  Philip  being  caught  away 
by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  and  found  at  Azotus,  he 
steps  on  the  steamship  or  on  the  cars,  and  is  borne 
to  his  mission.  Thus  the  omnipotence  of  the  Father 
accompanies  and  works  in  harmony  with  the  gift  of 
ministerial  power  in  accomplishing  its  great  results. 

The  second  characteristic  of  this  power  is  that  it 
is  "  from  on  high."  It  comes  directly  from  the  throne. 
Jesus  "  ascended  up  on  high  ;  he  led  captivity  captive, 
and  gave  gifts  unto  men."  "  Far  above  all  princi- 
pality, and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and 
every  name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world, 
but  also  in  that  which  is  to  come,"  hath  he  sat  down 
at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  and  hath  "  shed 
forth  "  this  power  upon  the  sons  of  men.  It  is  not 
found  in  books,  nor  does  it  come  from  books.  It  is 
not  to  be  found  in  the  teaching  of  professors,  or  in 
the  curriculum  of  the  schools.     It  is  a  gift  directly 


Poiver from  on  High.  209 

from  God,  so  inwrought  among  our  own  thoughts, 
convictions,  and  impulses,  that  we  cannot  tell  pre- 
cisely what  is  from  ourselves,  and  what  is  directly 
from  above.  Have  we  not  analogies  of  such  inter- 
mingling in  nature  ?  Placed  on  the  insulated  stool,^ 
and  connected  with  the  electrical  machine,  we  are 
filled  with  electricity — filled  so  full  that  every  hair 
upon  our  heads  stands  almost  erect.  Yet  we  have 
no  consciousness  of  it.  But  let  any  one  come  near 
us,  and  the  fire  sparkles  from  every  part.  So  we  may 
be  filled  unconsciously  with  divine  influence,  which 
shall  sparkle  fiom  our  eyes  and  issue  in  words  of 
power  from  our  tongues.  How  wonderfully  is  sci- 
ence revealing  to  us  divine  possibilities  !  The  elec- 
tric messages  we  send  to  our  brothers,  over  mount- 
ains, under  oceans,  across  the  globe,  so  quietly,  un- 
seen and  unheard  by  those  around — do  they  not 
illustrate  how  God  can  reach  our  hearts,  how  he  can 
infuse  his  own  power,  without  any  outward  manifes- 
tation.'' This  power  is  not  only  "from  on  high,"  it 
is  a  connecting  link  between  the  throne  and  our 
hearts.  It  is  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  not 
for  regeneration,  not  for  sanctification,  but  to  use  the 
whole  of  a  purified  nature,  and  especially  the  tongue, 
for  aggressive  Christian  work. 

In  other  characteristics  and  conditions  we  have  beair^X 
tiful  illustrations  in  the  holy  Scriptures.   Let  us  consid- 
er Ezekiel's  vision  of  the  valley  of  dry  bones.    He  was 

first  required  to  pass  through  the  valley  to  examine 
14 


2IO  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

the  bones  round  about,  and  to  see  that  they  were 
scattered  and  very  dry.  I  think  this  gives  us  the 
first  condition  for  the  exercise  of  this  power — a  clear 
conviction  of  the  ruined  state  of  humanity.  This  im- 
presses the  minister  with  the  vastness  of  the  work, 
and  makes  him  terribly  in  earnest  to  save  lost  hu- 
manity. Any  theological  view  which  teaches  that  hu- 
manity is  not  ruined,  that  the  nature  of  man  is  not  de- 
praved, that  the  whole  head  is  not  sick,  and  the  whole 
heart  is  not  faint — any  theology  which  finds  natural 
soundness  in  man — tends  to  weaken  the  feeling  for 
the  necessity  for  superhuman  effort  in  his  behalf.  If 
the  disease  be  not  a  terribly  fatal  one,  palliatives  or 
temporizing  expedients  may  be  employed.  The 
whole  history  of  the  Church  shows  that  where  de- 
pravity has  been  doubted,  efibrts  for  human  salvation 
have  been  relaxed.  An  aggressive  Gospel  has  always 
been  founded  on  the  idea  of  human  ruin. 

The  prophet  was  then  asked  :  "  Can  these  bones 
live  .''  "  Is  there  any  way  known  to  man,  any  reme- 
dy of  whatever  character,  that  can  possibly  restore  to 
them  life.'*  The  prophet  answers:  "O  Lord  God, 
thou  knowest."  As  much  as  to  say,  With  man  it  is 
impossible.  Here  we  find  the  second  condition  of 
ministerial  power — a  clear  conviction  that  there  is  no 
hope  for  man  apart  from  divine  interposition.  There 
is  no  philosophy  of  education  or  culture,  no  combina- 
tion of  associations,  that  can  save  the  human  soul. 
There  is  no  name  given  under  heaven  among  men 


Ezekicl  's  Vision.  2 1 1 

'whereby  we  may  be  saved — no  plan  outside  of  repent- 
ance toward  God  and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Clirist 
which  gives  any  hope  among  those  who  have  heard  the 
Gospel  of  either  present  or  future  salvation.  Any 
indefinite  fancyings  as  to  some  other  scheme  of  mercy, 
any  notion  that  there  may  be  some  future  plan  not 
revealed,  hid  away  in  the  countless  ages,  only  serves 
to  weaken  the  intensity  of  the  minister's  agony  to 
rescue  souls  from  eternal  death.  The  history  of  the 
Church  shows — and  our  own  observation  confirms 
that  history — that  where  men  fancy  that  either  here 
or  hereafter  heaven  may  be  gained  otherwise  than  by 
the  cross  of  Christ,  then  the  preaching  of  that  cross 
becomes  less  necessary  for  the  salvation  of  men  ;  and, 
practically,  those  who  embrace  such  doctrines  are 
less  earnest  for  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  true 
minister  of  to-day,  as  the  apostle  of  old,  says,  "  Know- 
ing, therefore,  the  terror  of  the  Lord,  we  persuade 
men."  He  believes,  also,  that  there  is  a  divine  pow- 
er which  can  save  and  rescue  fallen  man ;  that  this 
power  is  in  the  Gospel,  and  that  it  is  exercised 
through  the  preaching  of  the  word.  This  condition 
involves  the  idea  of  expectancy  on  the  part  of  the 
minister.  He  believes  that  while  he  preaches,  and 
as  he  preaches,  a  divine  power  accompanies  his  word, 
and  is  mysteriously  working  in  the  hearts  of  his  con- 
gregation. 

A  third  condition  is  found  in  absolute  and  unqual- 
ified obedience  to  God's  command.     Ezekiel  stood  in 


212  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

the  midst  of  the  valley  where  the  bones  were  scat- 
tered. All  signs  of  even  recent  life  were  gone  ;  there 
was  no  perfect  skeleton  even,  but  pieces  here  and 
there ;  yet  he  was  commanded  to  say,  "  O  ye  dry 
bones,  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord."  No  more  dis- 
couraging field  could  possibly  be  found,  no  place  less 
likely  to  yield  results.  How  could  the  bones  hear .'' 
How  could  life  be  restored  }  Yet  the  prophet  did  as 
he  was  commanded  ;  he  did  his  duty,  his  whole  duty. 
So  the  minister  goes  to  the  most  unpromising  field — 
to  a  place  of  outlawry  and  crime,  to  places  of  hea- 
thenish darkness,  to  cannibals  who  have  already  killed 
and  eaten  other  missionaries.  He  obeys  the  com- 
mand, "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gos- 
pel to  every  creature."  That  is  his  part,  and  history 
proves  that  the  bones  do  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord. 
The  point  at  which  supernatural  power  comes  in,  is 
the  completed  work  of  the  ministry.  Not  waiting 
until  the  end  of  his  mission,  but  on  each  completed 
stage,  divine  power  supplements  human  power.  The 
approbation  of  Christ  on  human  efforts  was  given  in 
the  words,  "  She  hath  done  what  she  could  ;"  and 
when  a  minister  does  all  he  can — when  he  brings 
his  all  of  strength,  and  study,  and  skill,  and  tact,  and 
prayer — ^when  he  has  exhausted  all  the  resources 
which  God  hath  put  in  him — then  divine  power  ac- 
complishes the  rest.  But  if  the  preacher  expects  di- 
vane  power  to  supplement  his  indolence  in  the  study, 
his  waste  of  time  in  frivolous  conversation,  his  hours 


Gospd  of  Hope.  213 

spent  in  amusements,  his  waste  of  opportunities  and 
energies,  no  wonder  that  he  shall  be  disappointed. 
To  him  the  divine  voice  is :  "  Cursed  is  he  that  doeth 
the  work  of  the  Lord  deceitfully."  He  is  Ananias 
holding  back  part  of  the  price. 

Another  condition  is  the  promise  of  hope  uttered 
by  the  prophet:  "Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  unto 
these  bones :  Behold,  I  will  cause  breath  to  enter  in- 
to you,  and  ye  shall  live  ;  and  I  will  lay  sinews  upon 
you,  and  will  bring  up  flesh  upon  you,  and  cover  you 
with  skin,  and  put  breath  in  you,  and  ye  shall  live  ; 
and  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord."  This  is  the 
Gospel  of  promise  and  of  hope  ;  it  is  to  be  addressed 
to  the  lowest  and  the  most  degraded.  The  thunders 
of  the  law  are  not  suited  for  such  an  audience  ; 
they  come  to  the  grand  and  self-opinionated  ones  of 
earth.  But  to  the  poor  and  wretched  and  down-trod- 
den among  men  there  come  the  whispers  of  mercy  in 
the  Gospel  of  hope  :  "  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit : 
for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  Under  this 
preaching  of  promise  there  was  a  wonderful  shaking  ; 
bone  came  to  bone,  and  sinews  and  flesh  came  upon 
them.  Then  the  message  was  given  :  "  Prophesy 
unto  the  wind,  prophesy,  son  of  man,  and  say  to  the 
wind.  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God:  Come  from  the  four 
winds,  O  breath,  and  breathe  upon  these  slain,  that 
they  may  live."  The  prophet  adds  :  "  So  I  prophesied 
as  he  commanded  me,  and  the  breath  came  into  them, 
and  they  lived,  and  stood  up  upon  their  feet,  an  ex- 


214  Lfxtures  on  Preaching. 

ceeding  great  army."  Here  we  have  the  invocation 
or  call  for  the  divine  Spirit  as  the  sole  agent  of  life 
and  power  ;  and  all  preaching  fails  which  is  not  ac- 
companied with  an  earnest  and  public  recognition  of 
the  absolute  need  of  the  divine  Spirit.  The  minister 
is  almost  blasphemous  if  he  takes  to  himself  the  glory 
of  the  accomplished  work.  Long  ago  God  said  by 
his  prophet,  "  Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by 
my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts." 

It  niay  be  said,  this  vision  was  applicable  only  to 
the  people  of  Israel,  and  that  it  pointed  to  their  na- 
tional restoration  and  rehabilitation.  Admitting  the 
])rimary  application,  the  principle  of  the  divine  work 
and  of  human  recovery  is  in  all  ages  the  same, 
and  the  spiritual  is  oftentimes  mirrored  in  the 
material. 

Let  us  turn  to  the  pentecostal  scene,  where  the 
promise  of  the  Father  was  fulfilled,  and  this  wonder- 
ful endowment  was  bestowed.  About  eight  hundred 
years  previously  the  Prophet  Joel  had  described  it 
with  wonderful  minuteness.  His  prophecy  was  about 
to  be  fulfilled.  It  was  the  promise  of  the  Father, 
which  had  been  repeated  by  the  Saviour  himself. 
The  disciples  were  "  with  one  accord  in  one  place." 
That  place,  I  presume,  was  some  part  of  the  temple, 
for  it  was  the  hour  of  prayer.  They  had  met  in  it 
time  and  again,  for  they  had  been  daily  in  the  temple, 
praising  and  blessing  God.  I  seem  to  see  them 
drav/n    closely   together — the    one    entire    Christian 


Pentecostal  Scene.  2 1 5 

Church,    apart    fron:;    the    world — apart    from    other 
Jewish  worsliipers. 

At  the  offering  up  of  the  evening  sacrifire,  some 
fifty  days  before,  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent 
while  Jesus  hung  upon  the  cross.  It  shadowed  the 
end  of  temple  sacrifices,  the  close  of  the  Jewish  day. 
Now,  at  the  offering  up  of  the  morning  sacrifice,  in- 
dicating the  opening  of  a  new  service,  with  its  day 
of  coming  glory,  there  came  over  this  assembly  "a 
sound  from  heaven,  as  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind, 
and  it  filled  all  the  house  where  they  were  sitting. 
And  there  appeared  unto  them  cloven  tongues  like 
as  of  fire,  and  it  sat  upon  each  of  them.  And  they 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to 
speak  with  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them 
utterance."  As  in  the  days  of  Elijah,  there  was, 
first,  the  strong  wind,  then  the  fire,  and  then  the 
divine  endowment.  The  fire  was  the  emblem  of 
divine  presence.  It  was  so  to  Abraham  when  the 
smoking  furnace  and  the  lamp  of  fire  passed  between 
the  parts  of  his  sacrifice,  denoting  the  season  of  af- 
fliction followed  by  divine  interposition.  It  was  the 
emblem  in  the  burning  bush,  in  the  pillar  of  fire,  in 
the  tabernacle  and  in  the  temple,  and  in  the  con- 
suming fire  which  came  down  at  Elijah's  prayer. 
Heretofore  it  had  been  a  unity  whenever,  wherever 
seen.  Now,  as  I  fancy,  it  came  as  a  unity  over  the 
heads  of  the  disciples,  overshadowing  them  all ;  and 
then   out   of  that   unity   came   divided   or   separated 


2i6  Lfxtures  on  Preaching. 

tongue-like  forms,  one  of  which  sat  upon  the  head 
of  each  of  them — ^not,  as  I  understand  it,  each  tongue 
cloven,  but  each  tongue  cloven  from,  or  coming  out 
of,  this  unity.  It  was  the  symbol  of  one  divine 
power  working  in  each  individual,  and  speaking  alike 
in  the  tongue  of  every  nation.  It  was  the  symbol  of 
God's  presence  passing  from  the  outward  and  mate- 
rial into  the  inner  and  spiritual.  God  in  man  be- 
comes the  tongue  of  fire,  or  a  burning  impulse  to 
proclaim  a  divine  message  to  humanity. 

This  endowment  was  partly  miraculous,  and  de- 
signed for  that  age  ;  partly  permanent,  and  intended 
for  all  ages.  It  was  not  a  gift  of  working  miracles 
in  general,  for  the  apostles  had  previously  received 
that,  but  was  confined  simply  to  speaking  in  other 
languages.  It  was  a  prophecy  of  the  coming  ages. 
As  the  people  came  running  together  from  other 
parts  of  the  temple,  and  then  from  all  the  city,  the 
strangers  and  sojourners  in  Jerusalem  were  ad- 
dressed by  some  one  of  the  disciples  in  his  own 
language.  The  infant  Church,  which  had  just  now 
been  in  one  place  in  prayer  and  supplication — the 
happy,  united  rejoicing  Church,  separate  from  the 
world  and  Jewish  worshipers  —  is  now  scattered 
among  the  worshipers,  and  through  the  city,  telling 
the  wonderful  works  of  God  :  a  type  of  the  Church, 
as  she  throws  herself  into  all  lands,  and  among  all 
peoples,  telling,  in  their  own  language,  and  not  in  the 
old   Hebrew  or  Greek,  or  even  the  Latin,  the  won- 


Abiding  Power.  217 

derfu]  story  of  the  cross.  This  was  the  baptism  of 
fire  of  which  John  the  Baptist  spake  when  he  said, 
"  He  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
with  fire."  It  was  the  voice  within  saying,  "  Go, 
speak  unto  the  people  all  the  words  of  this  life."  A 
measure  of  it  is,  I  think,  put  into  the  heart  of  every 
truly  convei"ted  man,  and  he  longs  to  tell  what  God 
has  done  for  him  ;  but  in  its  highest  form  it  comes 
upon  those  whom  he  thrusts  out  as  laborers  into  his 
harvest.  Perhaps  in  its  very  highest  form  it  comes 
on  those  who,  in  obedience  to  its  mandates,  take  their 
lives  in  their  hands,  and  go  to  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth. 

Separating,  then,  the  abiding  power  from  the  tem- 
porary and  miraculous,  there  seems  to  be,  first,  a 
strong  impulse  to  speak  for  God  ;  like  the  youth- 
ful Jesus,  when  he  talked  with  the  doctors  in  the 
temple,  and  said,  in  answer  to  his  wondenng  mother, 
"  Wist  ye  not  that  I  must  be  about  my  Father's 
business  .''  "  Secondly,  this  baptism  does  not  change 
the  natural  characteristics  of  the  minister,  but  works 
through  them.  Peter,  quoting  from  Joel,  said  : 
"  Your  young  men  shall  see  visions,  and  your  old 
men  shall  dream  dreams."  In  the  young,  imagination 
is  prominent.  They  are  ever  building  castles,  and 
looking  through  prisons,  and  covering  the  future 
with  colors  of  gorgeous  hues.  God  uses  all  that  im- 
agination, and  all  that  hopefulness  and  fervency,  and 
all  that  energy  and  activity,  which  the  young  possess. 


2i8  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

The  old  men  dream  dreams.  Memory  predominates. 
They  bring  out  of  its  store-house  incidents  of  the 
past,  and  age  ever  should  be  rich  in  thought  and  in- 
struction. The  sons  and  daughters  shall  prophesy. 
Even  the  little  children  join  in  songs,  and  earth's 
sweetest  music  is  heard  when  "out  of  the  mouth  of 
babes  and  sucklings  Thou  hast  perfected  praise." 
Nor  is  this  divine  endowment  restricted  to  the 
influential  or  the  wealthy;  it  is  given,  also,  to  the 
servants  and  to  the  handmaids.  In  the  days  of 
servitude  it  glowed  in  the  heart  and  spoke  from  the 
tongne  of  the  pious  slave.  It  works  through  all 
classes  and  conditions  of  humanity,  using  all  pecul- 
iarities of  mind  and  all  circumstances  of  humanity. 
May  I  suggest,  before  passing  from  this  pentecostal 
scene,  that  the  prophecy  of  "  wonders  in  heaven 
above,  and  signs  in  the  earth  beneath  ;  blood,  and 
fire,  and  vapor  of  smoke;  the  sun"  "turned  into 
darkness,  and  the  moon  into  blood  " — all  of  which 
were  to  be  "  before  that  great  and  notable  day  of  the 
Lord  come" — may  have  been  already  accomplished. 
Judah  had  been  shaken  ;  its  scepter  had  forever  de- 
parted ;  the  star  of  Bethlehem  had  gilded  the  heav- 
ens ;  the  blood  of  innocent  children  had  been  shed  ; 
miracles,  unnumbered,  had  been  wrought  by  the 
hands  of  Christ ;  the  sun  had  been  veiled  in  dark- 
ness for  three  hours  while  Christ  hung  upon  the 
cross,  and  the  earth  had  quaked  as  with  fear. 

This  baptism  of  fire  wrought  great  changes  in  the 


Heroic  Firmness.  2ig 

character    of   the  apostles,  and   manifests   the  same 
elements  in  the  hearts  of  true  ministers  every-where. 
First,  it  imparted  to  the  apostles  a  high  degree  of 
moral  courage.     Their  timidity  was  changed  to  brav- 
ery.    They  no  longer  fled  from  persecutors  or  assail- 
ants ;    but,  standing   in   the   temple,  proclaimed  the 
power  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  Jesus.     They  feared 
neither  prisons  nor  death,  though  their  preaching  nec- 
essarily aroused  the  strong  antagonism  of  the  Jewish 
authorities.     They  proclaimed   him    to  be  pure  and 
spotless  whom   they  had   crucified   as  a   malefactor. 
No  marvel  that  the  Jewish  council  said  :  "  Ye  intend 
to. bring  his  blood  upon  our  heads."     Reproved,  and 
even  scourged,  they  received   the  punishment  with 
joy  that  they  were  "  counted  worthy  to  suffer  for  the 
Lord  Jesus."     Imprisoned  for  the  night,  they  spake 
as  boldly  the  next  morning,  and  men  were  astonished 
when  they  saw  their  heroic  firmness  in  giving  their 
testimony  to  the  truth.     It  is   supposed  that  all  of 
them  but  one  suffered  a  violent  death  for  their  attach- 
ment to  Christ.     The  clear  conviction  of  his  divine 
mission  still  gives  the  minister  a  foundation  for  his 
heroism.     He  hears  the  voice  which  said  to  Abra- 
ham :  "  I  am   the  Almighty  God  ;  walk   before  me, 
and  be  thou  perfect."     The  same  conviction  of  duty 
which  sent  the  patriarch  from   Mesopotamia  to  Ca- 
naan, which  sent  the  prophets  on  a  holy  mission,  and 
inspired  the  heroes  of  Israel,  works  in  the  heart  of 
the  minister.     He  has  heard  the  voice  saying,  "  Go, 


220  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

preach  ; "  and  it  has  been  as  a  fire  in  his  bones.  This 
is  usually  strongest  with  the  young  minister,  and  es- 
pecially with  those  who,  under  circumstances  of  great 
distress  and  difficulty,  go  forward  in  the  discharge  of 
duty.  Too  frequently,  as  we  become  accustomed  to 
the  ministry,  and  are  in  comparatively  comfortable 
circumstances,  this  thought  of  the  divine  mission  is 
less  prominent  and  abiding.  Hence,  says  the  apos- 
tle, "  Stir  up  the  gift  of  God  within  thee  ;"  uncover 
the  coals  which  have  become  imbedded  in  ashes,  that 
the  pure  air  of  heaven  may  make  them  glow  and 
sparkle.  All  ministers,  in  every  age  and  under  all 
circumstances,  need  this  conviction.  Every  time  they 
ascend  the  pulpit  they  should  feel  that  they  are  sent 
of  God,  sent  with  a  divine  message,  and  sent  to  that 
specific  congregation.  Among  modern  ministers  Mr. 
Spurgeon  is  one  of  the  strongest  illustrations  of  this 
conviction.  He  is  aCalvinist  of  the  ultra  school,  but 
his  Calvinism  seems  to  me  to  take  one  special  form. 
He  feels  he  was  predestinated  from  all  eternity  to 
preach  the  Gospel  in  that  Tabernacle  ;  that  he  was 
sent  by  God  to  present  a  holy  message  to  that  people 
at  every  appointment.  He  steps  on  the  platform 
with  this  air,  enters  upon  his  work  as  if  he  had  some- 
thing of  importance  to  say,  and  challenges  the  atten- 
tion of  his  congregation  by  his  devout  manner,  and 
by  his  own  deep  interest  in  the  subject  which  he  pre- 
sents. Without  this  conviction  of  a  divine  mission, 
why  should  people  gather  to  hear^us .''  and  how  can 


Vi'eiu  of  the  Unseen.  221 

we  hold  their  attention  or  reach  their  consciences  ? 
Another  element  was  a  clear  conviction  of  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Unseen.  The  apostles  had  looked  up  to 
heaven  as  Jesus  ascended.  Angels  spoke  with  them, 
and  unlocked  doors  and  gates.  They  had  seen  the 
tongues  of  fire.  They  lived  partly  in  the  Invisible. 
The  Spirit  which  still  dwells  in  the  heart  of  the  min- 
ister allies  him  to  the  Invisible.  Its  home  is  in  the 
highest  heavens;  myriads  of  angels  have  been  its  un- 
seen messengers  ;  its  constant  tendency  is  to  attract 
the  human  heart  to  the  Unseen.  The  true  minister 
feels  that  he  is  compassed  with  a  cloud  of  witnesses  ; 
that  they  look  upon  him  from  the  heavens  above  ; 
that  they  are  with  him  in  his  ministrations,  and  thus 
he  lives  as  seeing  Him  who  is  invisible.  This  is  faith 
in  one  of  its  manifestations — the  evidence  of  things 
not  seen.  There  is  a  beautiful  legend  of  St.  Chry-  "^ 
sostom.  He  had  been  educated  carefully,  was  a  man 
of  culture,  and  was  devoted  to  his  calling,  yet  in  his 
earlier  ministry  he  was  not  remarkable  for  success. 
At  one  time  he  had  what  seemed  to  be  a  vision.  He 
thought  he  was  in  the  pulpit.  In  the  chancel  and 
round  about  him  were  holy  angels.  In  the  midst  of 
them,  and  directly  before  him,  was  the  Lord  Jesus  ; 
and  he  was  to  preach  to  the  congregation  assembled 
beyond.  The  vision  or  reverie  deeply  affected  his 
spirit.  The  next  day  he  ascended  the  pulpit  ;  he  felt 
the  impression  of  the  scene  ;  he  thought  of  the  holy 
angels  as   if   gathered   around  him  ;  of  the  blessed 


222  LfXTURES    on    PrEACHING. 

Saviour  as  directly  before  him,  as  listening  to  his 
words  and  beholding  his  spirit  ;  he  became  intensely 
earnest,  and  from  that  time  forward  a  wonderful 
power  attended  his  ministration.  Multitudes  gath- 
ered round  him  wherever  he  preached.  Though  he 
had  the  simple  name  of  John  while  he  lived,  the  ages 
have  called  him  Chrysostom,  or  the  Golden  Mouth. 

Could  we,  as  ministers,  have  ever  with  us  this  con- 
viction— that  close  beside  us  in  the  pulpit  and  around 
us  were  holy  angels,  and  that  the  blessed  Saviour  was 
ever  before  us  looking  upon  us  with  those  eyes  of 
love  that  broke  a  Peter's  heart,  and  listening  for  our 
words,  and  longing  to  have  us  say  something  that  his 
own  Spirit  and  power  might  bear  with  wings  of  fire 
to  the  hearts  of  the  people — what  an  immense  effect 
would  it  have  on  our  ministrations  .''  This  blessed  in- 
fluence the  Holy  Spirit  is  ever  exercising — taking  the 
things  of  the  Father  and  showing  them  to  us,  bring- 
ing to  our  remembrance  the  words  of  Christ,  opening 
our  eyes  to  behold  wondrous  things  out  his  law,  and 
revealing  to  us  the  personal  presence  of  the  blessed 
Saviour  in  all  the  omnipotence  of  his  nature.  It  is 
this  Spirit  which,  in  moments  of  weakness,  of  dark- 
ness, and  of  loneliness,  whispers  to  the  soul,  "  Lo,  I 
am  with  you  alway." 

Another  element  was  the  consciousness  of  divine 
assistance.  The  presence  of  the  Invisible  might 
overawe  and  overwhelm  ;  but  when  that  presence  is 
revealed  and  manifested  in  the  form  of  assistance, 


Divine  Assistance.  223 

what  an  immense  power  does  it  become  !  The  he- 
roes of  old  not  unfrequently  claimed  to  have  the  pres- 
ence and  assistance  of  their  gods.  Jupiter  and  Mars 
changed  the  destinies  of  battles,  ^neas  claimed  to 
be  the  son  of  Venus,  Alexander  the  son  of  Jnpiter 
Ammon,  and  Caesar  claimed  a  divine  mission  and  in- 
fluence. His  exclamation,  "  Cesarcni  vehis"  to  the 
trembling  boatman  inspired  him  with  courage.  The 
very  thought  of  friends  looking  on  becomes  an  assist- 
ance. The  hero  in  the  day  of  battle  is  nerved  by  the 
thought  of  home  and  friends  and  country.  With 
what  death-conquering  energy  will  the  husband  and 
father  meet  the  savage  foe,  seeking  to  destroy  his 
home  and  to  murder  his  wife  and  children  !  Alex- 
ander, when  a  young  man  entering  on  his  career  of 
conquest,  said  to  his  associates,  "  I  seem  to  be  stand- 
ing where  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world  are  upon  me." 
How  feeble  are  these  influences  compared  to  the 
thought  of  the  presence  of  God  ;  and  of  the  further 
thought,  that  his  power  not  only  protects  and  strength- 
ens us,  but  may  pass,  through  our  instrumentality,  to 
the  hearts  of  the  congregation.  How  inspiring  that 
other  thought,  that  we  are  not  looking  for  God  to  as- 
sist us,  so  much  as  God  is  longing  to  use  us  for  his 
own  glory.  He  says,  "  Herein  is  my  Father  glorified, 
that  ye  bear  much  fruit."  It  is  the  glory  of  the  vine 
that  its  little  twigs  are  laden  with  grapes.  Christ  is 
that  vine,  we  are  the  branches  and  twigs  ;  and  how 
anxious  he  is  that  we  may  bring  forth   much  fruit ! 


224  Lfx'tures  on  Preaching. 

What  limit  can  we  set  to  the  results  to  be  accom- 
plished, if  so  be  the  power  of  God  works  through  us  ? 
The  power  that  nerved  the  arm  of  a  Samson  to  bear 
the  gates  of  Gaza,  and  then  to  shake  down  the  pillars  of 
the  edifice — the  power  that  through  the  simple  blow- 
ing of  the  rams'  horns  caused  the  walls  of  Jericho 
to  fall ;  that  opened  a  path  through  the  Red  Sea,  and 
fed  millions  upon  manna — that  power,  in  all  its  maj- 
esty and  might,  is  waiting  to  work  through  our  words, 
our  tongues,  our  eyes,  and  our  very  gestures,  to  rec- 
oncile the  world  unto  God.  How  sad  it  is  that  some 
weak  spot  in  the  conductor  limits  the  intensity  and 
quantity  of  the  divine  electric  stream  ! 

This  endowment  of  the  Spirit,  this  holy  baptism, 
has  remained  with  the  Church  in  all  ages.  With 
what  power  did  the  apostles  give  witness  to  the  resur- 
rection of  Christ !  How  society  was  revolutionized, 
and  the  very  customs  of  earth  changed !  Men  in 
high  places,  as  well  as  in  low  places,  trembled  at  the 
preaching  of  Paul.  Ephesus  was  in  an  uproar,  and 
Athens  was  moved.  They  said  at  Thessalonica, 
"These  that  have  turned  the  world  upside  down  are 
come  hither  also."  I  hear  the  apostle  saying :  "  Thanks 
be  unto  God,  which  always  causeth  us  to  triumph  in 
Christ,  and  maketh  manifest  the  savor  of  his  knowl- 
edge by  us  in  every  place."  Piow  successful  was  the 
loving  John  in  winning  souls  for  his  Master  !  and 
with  what  power  did  Peter  preach  while  the  Holy 
Ghost  fell  on  them  which  heard  !    We  know  but  little 


Earnest  Christians.  225 

about  the  earlier  centuries,  and  yet  the  names  of  an 
ilkistrious  few  have  been  handed  down  to  us,  who 
shined  Uke  stars  upon  the  darkness  of  the  world. 
What  power  was  given  to  Saint  Ambrose  !  See  the 
multitudes  that  gathered  around  Saint  Chrysostom  ! 
How  they  hung  on  his  lips  !  How  eagerly  did  they 
wait  on  his  ministration  !  Erasmus  said  of  him  :  "  I 
know  not  whether  more  to  admire  the  indefatigable- 
ness  of  the  man  or  of  his  hearers." 

Under  the  preaching  of  Luther  immense  multi- 
tudes were  swayed,  and  all  northern  Europe  was  agi- " 
tared.  Under  the  preaching  of  Wiclif,  or,  rather,  the 
missionaries  whom  he  sent  out,  England  was,  also, 
stirred  to  its  depths.  Knox,  with  his  burning  words, 
inflamed  the  mind  of  Scotland,  as  well  as  made  its 
queen  to  tremble.  It  was  said  of  him,  that  it  seemed  as 
if  he  would  "  ding  the  pulpit  into  blads,  and  fly  oot 
o't."  In  the  days  following  the  Reformation  multi- 
tudes gathered  in  the  suburbs  of  Paris  and  of  Ant- 
werp to  sing  Christian  songs  and  engage  in  religious 
services  when  no  churches  were  open  to  them.  They 
were  dispersed  and  scattered  only  by  such  rivers  of 
blood  as  flowed  at  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew's 
day,  or  by  such  heaps  of  victims  as  were  slaughtered 
by  the  Duke  of  Alva.  The  mountains  of  Piedmont, 
the  city  of  Prague,  the  countries  of  Bohemia,  Spain, 
France,  and  Belgium,  were  all  scenes  of  intense  re- 
ligious power  until  the  Inquisition,  the  fagot,  and  the 

sword  put  hundreds  of  thousands  cruelly  to  death. 
15 


226  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

John  Howe  relates  from  Dr.  Goodwin  how  he  had 
heard  Mr.  Rogers  preach  on  his  lecture-day  when  his 
house  was  crowded,  and  such  was  the  influence  that 
"  he  put  all  the  congregation  in  so  strange  a  posture 
as  he  never  saw  any  congregation  in  his  life.  The 
place  was  a  mere  Bochim,  the  people  generally,  as  it 
were,  deluged  with  their  own  tears  ;  and  he  told  me 
that  he  himself,  when  he  got  out,  and  was  to  take 
horse  again  to  be  gone,  was  fain  to  hang  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  upon  the  neck  of  his  horse,  weeping,  be- 
fore he  had  power  to  mount,  so  strange  was  there  an 
impression  made  upon  him,  and,  generally,  upon  the 
people." 

Livingstone  in  Scotland,  when  only  twenty-seven 
years  of  age,  was  selected  by  his  brethren  to  preach 
a  Monday  morning  sermon  after  the  communion  at 
Sliotts.  He  made  every  effort  to  be  released,  but, 
failing,  spent  the  whole  night  in  prayer  and  religious 
conversation,  and  then  preached  a  sermon,  under 
which,  it  is  said,  at  least  five  hundred  were  awakened. 
He  says :  "  I  never  preached  ane  sermon  which  I 
would  be  earnest  to  see  wryte,  but  two :  the  one  was 
on  ane  Monday  after  the  communion  at  Shotts,  and  the 
other  on  ane  Monday  after  the  communion  at  Holy- 
wood  ;  and  both  these  times  I  had  spent  the  whole 
night  before  in  conference  and  prayer  with  some 
Christians  without  any  more  than  ordinary  prepara- 
tion ;  otherwayes  my  gift  was  rather  suited  to  simple, 
common  people  than  to  learned  and  judicious  audi- 


Powerful  Preaching.  227 

tors."  But  if  Livingstone  had,  according  to  his  wish, 
his  sermons  written,  the  power  would  not  have  ap- 
peared. Whitefield's  sermons  on  paper  are  not  re- 
markable. Nor  is  this  strange,  for  the  anatomist 
has  never  been  able  to  find  the  life  in  a  single  animal 
or  even  in  a  single  seed.  Baxter  was  exceedingly 
successful  in  the  ministry,  and  Ryle  says  of  him  : 
"  He  always  spoke  as  one  who  saw  God,  and  felt 
death  at  his  back."  Fletcher  of  Madeley  frequently 
so  electrified  his  audiences  that  some  minutes  passed 
before  he  could  resume  his  sermons. 

Look  at  the  vast  multitudes  that  attended  the 
preaching  of  a  Whitefield,  and  the  longer  continued 
ministrations  of  a  Wesley.  See  how  thoroughly  so- 
ciety was  stirred  to  its  very  foundation — how  the  col- 
liers from  their  sooty  pits  listened  with  uplifted  faces 
and  streaming  eyes  to  the  words  of  life,  and  how  the 
rabble  on  the  common,  though  like  wild  beasts  in 
their  lawlessness,  were  tamed  and  sobered  under 
their  preaching.  I  heard  Cardinal  Manning  say  in  a 
sermon  in  London,  that  had  it  not  been  for  the 
preaching  of  John  Wesley,  no  man  could  tell  into 
how  deep  a  degradation  England  would  have  sunk. 
Listen  to  the  prayers  and  preaching  of  Calamy,  and 
how  the  multitude  was  stirred.  In  our  own  country 
New  England  heard  the  voice  of  an  Edwards,  and 
was  stirred  to  its  center.  What  wonderful  power, 
when  the  minister  sitting  behind  him  could  no  longer 
contain  himself,  but  sprang  to  his  feet,  and,  catching 


228  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

him  by  the  coat,  said  :  "  But  O  !  Mr.  Edwards,  is  not 
God  a  God  of  mercy .'' "  and  one  of  his  auditors 
said  that  he  fully  expected  to  see  the  heavens  open 
and  the  Judge  descend.  What  wonderful  revivals 
followed  !  Think  of  the  ministry  of  Chalmers.  It  is 
said  that  Professor  Young,  who  occupied  the  chair 
of  Greek  in  the  university,  was  on  one  occasion  so  elec- 
trified that  he  leaped  up  from  his  seat  upon  the  bench 
near  the  pulpit,  and  stood  breathless  and  motionless, 
gazing  at  the  preacher  till  the  burst  was  over,  the 
tears  all  the  while  rolling  down  his  cheeks."  Dr. 
Wardlaw  describes  one  scene  he  witnessed  as  follows  : 
"It  was  a  transcendently  grand — a  glorious  burst. 
The  energy  of  the  doctor's  action  corresponded.  In- 
tense emotion  beamed  from  his  countenance.  I 
cannot  describe  the  appearance  of  his  face  better 
than  by  saying,  as  Foster  said  of  Hall's,  it  was 
'lighted  up  almost  into  a  glare.'  The  congregation, 
in  so  far  as  the  spell  under  which  I  was  allowed  me 
•to  observe  them,  were  intensely  excited,  leaning  for- 
ward in  the  pews  like  a  forest  bending  under  the  power 
of  the  hurricane,  looking  steadfastly  at  the  preacher, 
and  listening  in  breathless  wonderment.  One  young 
man,  apparently,  by  his  dress,  a  sailor,  who  sat  in  a 
pew  before  me,  started  to  his  feet,  and  stood  till  it 
was  over.  So  soon  as  it  was  concluded  there  was,  as 
invariably  was  the  case  at  the  close  of  the  doctor's 
bursts,  a  deep  sigh." 

Look  at  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  at  the  begin- 


Attainment  of  Power.  229 

ning  of  this  century  ;  and  what  wonderful  phenom- 
ena occurred  among  Presbyterians,  Methodists,  and 
Baptists  !  People  gathered  from  ten  to  fifty  miles 
to  attend  the  meetings  ;  thousands  were  converted  ; 
the  most  strange  phenomena  accompanied  them  ; 
and  out  of  those  assemblies  camp-meetings  have 
continued,  and  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church 
was  organized.  See  how  Bishop  Asbury  and  his 
coadjutors  in  Methodism  passed  over  the  mountains 
and  valleys,  and  what  extensive  revivals  prevailed. 
Look  at  Moody  and  Sankey  in  our  own  days,  and 
see  what  thousands  attended  their  ministrations,  and 
how  many  hearts  have  been  touched. 

The  attainment  of  this  ministerial  power  should  be 
the  object  of  the  most  intense  desire.  I  do  not  sup- 
pose that  all  may  be  equally  robed  with  it.  It  is  an  at- 
tribute of  divine  sovereignty  to  give  it  to  whomsoever 
he  will,  and  in  what  measure  he  will.  But  when  I  re- 
member that  through  this  Spirit  alone  good  can  be 
accomplished,  that  God  calls  men  to  the  ministry  for 
the  purpose  of  saving  souls,  that  he  is  glorified  by 
their  success,  that  he  has  promised  to  be  with  them 
and  in  them,  that  he  has  promised  that  if  they  would 
ask  they  should  receive,  and  has  promised  to  fill 
them  with  his  Spirit,  I  cannot  but  think  there  is  a 
rich  manifestation  of  the  Spirit  ready  for  every  min- 
ister, that  he  may  be  thoroughly  prepared  for  his 
glorious  office. 

What,  then,  shall  he  do  that  he  may  be  the  most 


230  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

eminently  successful  ?  First,  There  should  be  an  en- 
tire consecration  of  every  moment  of  time  and  of 
every  power  of  body  and  soul  to  the  service  of  God. 
If  we  expect  the  divine  Spirit  to  dwell  in  us,  the 
heart  should  be  made  ready  for  his  reception.  Like 
the  sacrifice  of  old,  we,  as  living  sacrifices,  should  be 
without  spot  and  blemish.  "  Know  ye  not,"  saith 
the  apostle,  "that  your  bodies  are  temples  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  ?  If  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,  he  is  none  of  his."  That  Spirit  is  to  dwell 
with  us  and  abide  in  us.  Every  faculty,  every  pow- 
er, belongs  wholly  to  God  ;  and  we,  set  apart  for  his 
service,  have  a  grand  and  holy  mission  among  men. 
Yet,  as  Jesus  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant, 
and  cared  for  the  sorrows  and  miseries  of  the 
wretched,  so,  while  our  mission  elevates,  it  does  not 
separate  us  from  the  masses  of  men  about  us.  We 
are  to  mingle  with  them,  to  love  them,  to  enlighten 
and  to  save  them. 

Secondly,  There  must  not  only  be  consecration,  but 
earnest  prayer.  It  is  God's  pleasure  to  be  entreated. 
Prayer  is  necessary,  not  only  that  we  may  receive, 
but  that  we  may  be  in  a  condition  to  receive.  We 
must  first  feel  deeply  the  need  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  we  may  ask  it.  Seeing  the  responsibility  laid 
upon  us,  the  magnitude  of  the  work,  and  our  own  in- 
sufficiency, and  that  there  is  no  power  adequate  but 
that  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  pray  for  it  ;  we  wait,  in 
earnest  supplication.    As  the  disciples  waited  the  ten 


Religions  Fasting.  23 1 

days  from  the  ascension  to  pentecost,  so  must  we 
wait  until  the  Spirit  be  poured  upon  us  from  on 
high  ;  but  we  must  wait  as  they  waited,  in  the  fulfill- 
ment of  duty  among  the  people  of  God,  in  the  temple, 
worshiping,  praising,  and  blessing  God.  We  must 
wait  expectantly,  we  must  wait  assuredly,  not  for  any 
miraculous  power,  nor  for  conscious  endowment,  but 
with  a  full  conviction  that  God  will  so  take  posses- 
sion of  our  memory,  reason,  and  imagination,  of  our 
strength  and  of  our  learning,  that  each  and  all  of 
them,  vitalized  by  his  own  power,  shall  be  made  to 
glow  with  such  heat  that  they  shall  burn  their  way 
by  the  truth  to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  those 
who  hear  us. 

Thirdly,  To  intense  prayer  must  be  added  fasting. 
If  I  am  asked  how  fasting  can  bring  spiritual  power, 
I  cannot  answer  satisfactorily.  I  simply  know  that 
Jesus  hath  said  :  "  This  sort  cometh  not  out  but  by 
prayer  and  fasting."  He  had  given  his  disciples 
power  over  unclean  spirits,  yet  there  was  one 
brought  to  them  which  they  could  not  cast  out.  It 
reigned  only  in  the  more  fury  because  of  their  efforts, 
and  when  Jesus  came  the  sorrowing  father  applied 
to  him.  One  word  was  sufficient,  and  the  unclean 
spirit  fled.  The  bewildered  disciples  asked  the 
Master  why  they  could  not  cast  him  out,  and  received 
the  answer  I  have  quoted.  This  implies  different 
degrees  of  spiritual  power — power  sufficient  to  reach 
some  hearts,  but   not    all.     But    who   that  loves  his 


232  LErTURF:s  on  Preaching. 

Master  does  not  covet  a  power  sufficient  to  rescue 
the  vilest  of  the  vile,  and  to  bring  the  strongest  of- 
fender to  the  foot  of  the  cross.  While  I  cannot  tell 
how  the  fasting  operates,  I  can  see  that  it  is  both  a 
sign  of  deep  feeling,  and  that  it  adds  to  its  intensity. 
Who  has  not  felt  a  sorrow  that  made  him  for  the 
time  regardless  of  food  ?  Who  has  not  been  so  ab- 
sorbed that  he  has  forgotten  the  hours,  and  passed 
beyond  the  time  of  his  meals  ?  With  a  dear  one  on 
the  bed  of  death,  how  tasteless  and  valueless  is  food ! 
So,  if  there  be  an  intensity  of  prayer  that  absorbs  the 
soul,  we  become  like  Him  who  said,  "  I  have  meat  to 
eat  ye  know  not  of;"  and  again,  "  My  meat  is  to  do 
the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me." 

Again,  it  adds  to  the  intensity  of  purpose.  The 
men  who  sought  the  life  of  Paul  bound  themselves 
with  an  oath  that  they  would  neither  eat  nor  drink 
till  they  had  slain  him.  This  marks  the  intensity  of 
their  purpose.  When  David  prayed  for  the  life  of 
his  child  he  took  no  meat  until  they  brought  him 
news  that  the  child  was  dead.  He  would  have  but 
one  desire.  He  would  do  but  one  thing.  So  the 
minister  is  so  anxious  to  receive  spiritual  power,  so 
anxious  to  rescue  souls  from  ruin,  so  anxious  to  build 
the  Church  of  Christ,  that  sometimes  he  has  little 
relish  for  his  food  ;  and  at  other  times,  such  is  the 
cry  of  his  soul,  that  he  resolves  to  take  no  meat  until 
his  prayer  prevails  with  God.  This  intense  desire 
thus  marked  fits  the  soiil  for  holy  action,  for  sublime 


Results  of  Fasting,  233 

purposes.  Its  whole  power  has  become  concentrated 
on  one  thing.  Then  as  the  ball,  when  the  rifle  has 
been  pointed  steadily  at  the  mark,  strikes  to  its 
center,  so  the  minister,  having  but  one  aim,  his  whole 
soul  absorbed  on  one  point,  finds  his  words  going  di- 
rectly to  the  hearts  of  his  hearers.  How  wonderful 
the  example  of  Christ !  Pure  and  spotless,  he  needed 
no  prayer  for  himself.  He  prayed  for  others,  for  us, 
for  the  world.  He  continued  whole  nights  in  prayer 
while  loving  disciples  yielded  to  sleep  ;  he  prayed 
for  others,  as  they  would  not  pray  for  themselves. 
He  needed  no  fasting  for  himself,  yet  see  him  fasting 
forty  days  and  forty  nights  in  the  wilderness.  After 
it  the  angels  came  and  ministered  unto  him,  and  he 
came  out  of  the  wilderness  to  heal  the  sick  and  to 
raise  the  dead.  All  night  in  prayer  he  was  trans- 
figured, and  Moses  and  Elias  came  down  to  earth  to 
talk  with  him  in  the  presence  of  his  disciples  of  the 
decease  he  should  accomplish  in  Jerusalem.  Moses, 
with  God  on  the  mountain,  came  down  with  a  shin- 
ing face — shining  so  brightly  with  unconscious  power 
that  the  people  could  not  gaze  upon  him  until  he  was 
veiled.  So  the  minister,  coming  out  of  his  closet, 
through  his  seasons  of  fasting  and  prayer,  is  gifted 
with  words  which  pierce  to  the  hearts  of  the  people; 
and  sometimes  it  seems  as  if  his  countenance  shone 
like  the  face  of  Stephen,  who,  gazing  up  into  heaven 
was  illumined  by  a  ray  from  the  throne. 

This  Spirit,  also,  brings  before  us  the  most  solemn 


234  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

thoughts  in  reference  to  our  congregations.     Immor- 
tal souls  come  to  listen   for  tidings  of  the   Saviour. 
God  has   stirred   them  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  and  sent 
them  to  hear.     If  they  are  saved  it  must  be  through 
our  words,  and  upon  the  issue  of   the  sermon  the 
destiny   of  immortal    souls    may    be    sealed.     Who 
could  preach  carelessly  could  he  thus  feel  .'*    Besides, 
it  may  be  the  last  sermon  which  some  one  shall  hear. 
Almost  every  sermon  is  the  last  that  some  one  does 
hear.     More  persons  die  every  week  than  there  are 
pulpits  in  the  land.     Could  we  single  out  some  per- 
son in  the  assembly  who  would  never  hear  another 
sermon,  how  would  we  try  to   preach  Jesus  .''     Our 
eyes  are  sealed  as  to  destiny,  but  that  person  is  in 
the  congregation,  and  we   must  draw  the  bow  at  a 
venture,  trusting  that   the  divine   arm  and  eye  will 
give  to  the  bow  sufficient  tension,  and  to  the  arrow 
the  right  direction.     When   I  have  heard,  as  I  fre- 
quently have,  of  persons  present  in  assemblies  where 
I    have   preached,   who   have   been   called    suddenly 
away  by  accidents  or  disease,   I   have   never  felt  to 
regret  that   my  sermon  was  not  more  beautiful  or 
more  polished,  but  I  have  regretted  that  it  was  not 
preached  with  more  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and 
of  power.     I  cannot  conceal  my  conviction,  that  but 
for  the  negligence  and  indolence  of  those  of  us  who 
occupy  the  sacred  desk,  this  demonstration  would  be 
more  universal  and  more  powerful.     It  seems  to  me 
that  the  possibilities  connected  with  preaching  have 


The  Baptism  of  Fire.  235 

been  only  partially  realized,  and  that  a  brighter  and 
more  glorious  day  will  dawn  upon  the  Church.  If 
there  is  one  thing  above  all  others  that  I  have  de- 
sired for  myself,  and  that  above  all  other  things  I 
covet  for  you,  it  is  this  ministerial  power,  this  bap- 
tism of  fire.  Seek  for  this  more  than  for  learning, 
for  wisdom,  for  oratory  ;  and,  above  all,  more  than 
for  any  thought  of  your  acceptability  or  popularity. 
To  preach  one  sermon  like  Livingstone's  would  be 
worth  a  life  of  service.  I  believe  you  all  may  have 
such  power  that  thousands  shall  be  converted  under 
your  preaching.  If  the  Bible  be  true,  and  if  you 
are  divinely  called  to  the  ministry,  you  are  lifted  out 
of  the  common  circles  of  business  and  of  the  con- 
flicts of  life.  God  comes  to  dwell  in  you,  and  to  use 
all  your  powers  for  himself;  your  highest  glory 
will  be  to  appear  as  living,  walking  Christs  among 
men,  and  you  will  feel  with  the  apostle,  "  For  me 
to  live  is  Christ." 


236       Lectures  on  Preaching. 


LECTURE    VIIL 

THE  INFLUENCE  OF  THE  PASTORATE  ON  THE  PULPIT. 

*'  I  ^HE  pulpit  is  not  tlie  only  sphere  of  the  preach- 
-'-  er's  power.  There  are  other  spheres  which  are 
intimately  associated  with  it^  The  minister  is  a  pas- 
tor as  well  as  a  .preacher.  He  both  feeds  and  cares 
for  his  flock.  He  not  only  leads  them  to  pastures 
green  and  nourishing,  but  guards  them  against  prowl- 
ing beasts  of  prey  that  thirst  for  their  blood,  as  well 
as  against  precipices  and  morasses,  where  they  might 
receive  fatal  injury.  As  a  preacher,  he  speaks  to 
the  people  collectively  ;  but  as  a  pastor  he  watches 
over  them  individually.  By  careful  observation  he 
learns  their  religious  condition,  their  past  advance- 
ment, the  difficulties  which  they  encounter,  the  hopes 
and  fears  which  influence  their  lives,  and  is  prepared 
to  furnish  them  the  truth  which  they  need.  Thus, 
too,  the  sermons  which  he  delivers  to  the  whole  con- 
gregation become  a  source  of  spiritual  power  to  each 
individual. 

These  two  classes  of  work  are  so  intimately  asso- 
ciated that  it  is  impossible  perfectly  to  separate  them. 
The  preacher  cannot  reap  the  full  harvest  of  his 
labors  without  being  the  diligent  pastor,  and  the  pas- 


Extra-CJiurdi  Preaching.  237 

tor  can  accomplish  but  little  without  the  truth  and 
power  of  the  pulpit.  Pastoral  duties  are  enjoined  by 
the  direct  command  of  Christ,  and  are  illustrated  in 
his  own  glorious  example.  Their  character  is,  also, 
exemplified  in  the  labors  of  the  apostles,  as  they 
taught  the  people  from  house  to  house,  or  warned 
them  day  and  night  with  tears.  I  do  not  propose  to 
discuss  the  duties  of  the  pastorate,  though  the  field 
is  a  very  wide  and  fruitful  one.  I  purpose  only  to  no- 
tice the  influence  which  pastoral  duties  exercise  upon 
the  pulpit,  in  giving  to  the  preacher  the  knowledge 
essential  to  his  work,  and  enabling  him  to  trace  the 
progress  of  that  work,  as  it  may  appear  from  time  to 
time  under  his  labors  ;  and,  also,  in  preparing  the 
congregation  to  be  more  profited  by  bringing  them 
into  friendship  and  sympathy  with  the  minister. 

One  form  of  this  work  is  preaching  outside  of  the 
regular  pulpit.  The  parable  of  the  supper  was  de- 
signed to  instruct  the  disciples  to  go  out  into  the  high- 
ways and  hedges  and  to  compel  the  people  to  come  in. 
We  are  not  only  to  preach  to  those  who  are  so  anx- 
ious to  hear  us  that  they  will  crowd  to  the  churches 
and  aid  in  supporting  the  Gospel,  but  we  are  to  go 
forth  to  seek  for  those  who  will  not  attend  the 
churches.  The  Saviour  preached  the  Gospel  on  the 
mountain-side,  or  from  a  boat  on  the  sea  of  Galilee. 
Pie  addressed  his  disciples  as  they  journeyed  to  and 
fro,  or  rested  by  the  way-side.  He  preached  one  of 
his  sublimest  sermons  to  a  single  hearer,  the  woman 


238  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

of  Samaria,  as  he  sat  by  Jacob's  well ;  and  his  rich 
promise  was  given  to  the  dying  thief  who  was  cru- 
cified at  his  side.  He  gave  his  benediction  at  the 
marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  spoke  words  of  life  at 
the  death-bed  of  the  damsel  to  comfort  sorrowing 
parents,  touched  the  bier  and  restored  the  son  to  his 
widowed  mother,  called  a  brother  back  from  the  tomb 
to  wipe  away  the  tears  of  weeping  sisters,  and  in  his 
tenderness,  in  the  midst  of  his  sermon,  he  took  little 
children  in  his  arms  and  blessed  them.  He  was  the 
preacher  and  the  Saviour  every-where.  The  great 
apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  in  his  work,  imitated  his  Mas- 
ter, tie  preached  in  the  Jewish  synagogue,  disputed 
in  the  school  of  Tyrannus,  proclaimed  the  Gospel  on 
Mars'  Hill,  delivered  sermons  by  the  sea-side,  spake 
in  an  upper  room  through  the  late  hours  of  the  night, 
and  warned  the  people  not  only  publicly,  but  from 
house  to  house.  These  examples  point  out  the  path 
of  duty,  and  teach  us  not  to  confine  our  ministrations  to 
the  sacred  edifice.  The  ultimate  design  of  preaching 
is  not  merely  the  utterance  of  the  truth  so  as  to  reach 
the  understanding  and  to  stir  the  emotions  and  affec- 
tions, but  "  to  present  every  man  perfect  in  Christ 
Jesus."  This  work  is  so  vast,  it  cannot  be  accom- 
plished merely  by  sermons  in  the  pulpit ;  they  must 
be  supplemented  by  personal  visiting,  conversation, 
and  effort  with  each  individual. 

This  pastoral  visiting  is  essential  to  the  preacher, 
in  order  that  he  may  learn  the  condition  and  wants 


Degrees  of  Kiioivledgc.  239 

of  his  congregation.  Without  this  knowledge  there 
will  be  little  directness  in  his  sermons,  and  they  will 
be  comparatively  profitless  to  his  people.  In  his 
office  of  teacher,  before  he  can  instruct  wisely  and 
well,  he  must  learn  what  his  hearers  already  know. 
That  he  is  a  teacher  and  messenger  of  divine  things 
not  only  does  not  release  him  from  his  duty,  but 
rather  intensifies  his  responsibility  in  it.  The  pro- 
fessor in  college  may  understand  the  higher  functions 
in  algebra,  but  it  would  be  simple  folly  to  lecture  uj)on 
them  to  those  who  had  not  learned  the  first  principles 
of  arithmetic,  or  to  discuss  the  peculiar  properties  of 
the  sections  of  the  cone  to  those  who  had  not  studied 
the  elements  of  geometry.  The  professors  in  every 
college,  the  teachers  of  every  science,  examine  their 
students  before  they  admit  them  to  recitation  in  the 
various  departments,  that  instruction  may  be  given  ac- 
cording to  their  individual  advancement.  If  this  be 
necessary  in  acquiring  elements  of  knowledge,  which, 
though  important,  are  not  vital,  and  without  which  a 
man  may  live  and  be  both  useful  and  happy,  how  much 
more  important  is  it  in  acquiring  that  knowledge 
which  is  essential  to  his  happiness  here  and  hereafter .'' 
To  one  unacquainted  with  Christian  congregations 
and  with  Christian  instruction  it  must  be  a  perfect 
marvel  how  one  discourse  can  suit  a  congregation 
composed  of  all  grades  of  ages,  talents,  acquirements, 
and  accomplishments,  and  by  one  who  knows  the 
condition  of  scercely  a  person  in  the  audience.     The 


240  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

possibility  of  such  teaching  is  found  only  in  the  uni- 
versal application  of  the  elementary  truths  of  the 
Gospel  to  every  human  heart. 

The  settled  pastor  who  has  served  his  congrega- 
tion for  many  years,  who  has  baptized  and  married  a 
generation,  who  has  buried  friends  and  parents,  may 
be  supposed  to  have  a  general  knowledge  of  the  con- 
dition of  his  audience  ;  yet  this  acquaintance  extends 
chiefly  to  external  circumstances.  Without  personal 
visiting  and  frequent  conversation  with  individuals 
he  cannot  know  the  workings  of  their  minds,  the 
presence  and  pressure  of  disturbing  doubts,  the 
strength  of  severe  temptations,  the  rapid  currents 
which  they  are  trying  to  stem,  and  the  help  of  which 
they  are  constantly  in  need.  Besides  this,  additions 
are  made  to  every  congregation  by  immigration,  by 
marriages,  or  by  changes  in  business  ;  young  hearts 
are  expanding,  which  have  longings  for  the  invisible 
and  eternal,  which  are  not  yet  made  known  even  to 
the  pastor  who  baptized  them.  These  changes, 
together  with  the  influence  of  pernicious  publications 
and  strange  ideas,  which  enter  every  dwelling  and 
may  find  way  to  every  heart,  require  constant  vig- 
ilance on  the  part  of  the  oldest  and  most  careful 
pastor.  The  young  pastor,  though  he  may  expect  to 
remain  settled,  is  a  stranger  to  the  religious  condi- 
tion of  his  audience.  How  can  he  become  acquainted 
with  it,  so  as  to  form  his  sermons  properly,  except 
by  personal  visiting  and  conversation  ? .    In  an  itiner- 


Personal  Conversation.  241 

ant  ministry,  such  as  that  connected  with  the  Church 
of  which  I  am  a  member,  the  difficulty  of  knowing 
the  congregations  is  increased.  The  preacher  pass- 
ing from  year  to  year,  or  every  few  years,  to  different 
locahties,  must  necessarily  be  unacquainted  with  his 
people,  and  must  at  first  be  at  a  loss  for  topics.  I 
doubt  whether  an  itinerant  ministry  could  be  highly 
successful  without  the  aid  of  assistants  who  are  ac- 
quainted with  the  congregation.  To  secure  this  help 
class-meetings  have  proved  of  immense  value.  A 
small  number  meet  together  each  week  for  prayer 
and  religious  conversation.  The  leader,  who  con- 
ducts these  services,  becomes  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  every  member.  Under  the  order  of  the  Church 
these  leaders  are  expected  to  meet  the  minister  every 
week,  and  it  is  the  minister's  duty  to  visit  the  various 
classes  as  frequently  as  practicable.  This  arrange- 
ment serves  to  promote  personal  acquaintance  among 
the  various  members,  and  to  furnish  a  mode  by  which 
the  ministers  can  quickly  meet  with  all  their  mem- 
bers. By  it  pastoral  assistance  can,  also,  be  fur- 
nished to  the  preacher.  Valuable  as  these  meetings 
are  to  an  itinerant  ministry,  they  do  not  prevent  the 
necessity  of  direct  personal  visits  from  house  to 
house.  It  is  only  in  such  a  way,  whether  the  pastor- 
ate be  temporary  or  prolonged,  that  the  member  can 
enjoy  a  full  and  earnest  conversation  with  his  pastor, 
can  tell  him  of  the  doubts  which  trouble  him,  and  of 

the  peculiar  trials  and  difficulties  that  meet  and  sur- 
16 


242  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

round  him.  If  the  pastor  becomes  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  religious  condition  of  his  people, 
their  pursuits  and  employments,  their  afflictions  and 
temptations,  he  will  be  able,  for  their  edification,  to 
"  bring  forth  out  of  his  treasury  things  both  new  and 
old."  Nor  should  pastoral  visiting,  in  this  view,  be 
confined  merely  to  the  members  of  the  Church.  The 
preacher  should  mingle  freely  with  the  members  of 
his  congregation,  and  should,  also,  visit  those  who  oc- 
casionally attend  his  ministry.  He  may  thus  learn 
their  views  or  their  objections.  He  can  ascertain 
what  stumbling-blocks  lie  in  their  way,  and  what  it  is 
that  keeps  them  from  embracing  the  Saviour  and 
from  fellowship  with  his  Church.  He  will  sometimes 
find  phases  of  skepticism  that  seem  to  envelop  the 
whole  community,  as  the  atmosphere  encircles  the 
earth.  At  other  times  he  will  find,  running  through 
families  and  business  associations,  tracks  of  local 
storms  that  have  prostrated  every  thing  in  their  way, 
and  left  ruined  branches  and  trunks  scattered  around. 
To  labor  successfully,  to  remove  skepticism,  to  heal 
difficulties,  to  bring  communities  into  unity  and  love, 
he  must  mingle  with  the  people,  and  they  must  feel 
that  he  takes  a  deep  interest  in  them.  Then  will  he 
be  able  skillfully  to  select  his  topics,  and  break  to  his 
people  the  bread  of  life. 

Again,  the  minister  needs  to  visit  his  people  to 
gain  their  sympathy  and  good-will.  Quintilian  says 
that  the  first   requisite   for  an   orator  is  to  gain  the 


Good-zuill,  243 

good-will  of  his  audience.  We  all  know  how  much 
more  readily  children  learn  when  they  love  their 
teachers,  and  how  little  benefit  they  receive  when 
they  dislike  them.  The  minister  beloved  by  his 
congregation  has  a  key  to  their  affections.  They 
listen  with  delight,  and  find  pleasure  and  instruc- 
tion in  all  his  ministrations.  But  if  the  minister  be 
an  object  of  aversion,  his  words  are  without  power  to 
the  hearts  of  his  hearers.  To  gain  the  good-will  of 
his  audience  there  is  no  method  more  effectual  than 
to  manifest  an  interest  in  them  and  their  families. 
The  preacher  who  has  a  cheerful  word  for  the  man  of 
business  when  he  meets  him — who  calls  to  visit  the 
family,  especially  in  times  of  affliction — who  has  a 
kind  word  for  every  child — soon  acquires  such  an  in- 
fluence over  those  families  as  to  make  them  attent- 
ive and  interested  hearers.  This  visiting  should  be 
so  thorough  that  the  names  of  all  the  congregation, 
and,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  names  of  the  chijdren, 
should  be  carefully  learned.  The  good  Shepherd 
"  calleth  his  sheep  by  name,"  is  the  language  of  the 
blessed  Saviour.  It  gratifies  children  especially  to 
be  addressed  by  their  names ;  they  feel  that  the 
man  who  does  so  takes  an  interest  in  them  ;  and 
the  older  ones  among  us  would  prefer  to  be  called 
by  our  own  names,  rather  than  to  be  addressed  as 
Mr.  Jones  or  Mr.  Smith. 

Again,  pastoral  visiting  furnishes  the  preacher  an 
opportunity  to  learn  the  influence   of   his  sermons, 


244  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

and  to  ascertain  accurately  the  effects  which    they 
have   produced.      Thus  he  will  receive  suggestions 
which   may  be  of  future  service.      If,  in  visiting  the 
man   of  business,  he  finds  that  the   influence  of  his 
last  Sabbath's  sermon  lingers  in  his  office,  counting- 
room,  shop,  or  on  his  farm,  as  a  hallowed  influence 
to  cheer  him  in  his  work  and  to  raise  his  heart  heav- 
enward, he  should  thank  God  that  he  was  enabled  to 
deliver  such   a  message,  and  should   study  how  he 
may  secure   other   trains  of  thought  equally  profit- 
able.     If,  in  visiting  the  sick,  he  finds  that  his  words 
of  comfort  have  been  treasured  in  their  memory,  and 
have  been  a  benediction  in  their  seasons  of  darkness 
and  sorrow,  he  will  rejoice  in  his  ministry  of  conso- 
lation, and  will  apply  himself  to  find  fresh  lessons  of 
encouragement  in  the  word  of  God.     But  should  he 
find  that  his  sermons  have  not  been  treasured,  that 
the  j)eople  refer  to  no  thoughts  of  comfort  or  conso- 
lation ;  if  the  old  are  without  cheer,  and  the  young 
are  disposed  to  wander  away,  he  has  serious  cause  to 
inquire  whether  he  should   not  change  his  style  of 
preaching.      He  should  consider  whether  he  has  care- 
fully selected  important  truths  in  view  of  their  con- 
dition, whether  his  address  has  been  direct  and  ear- 
nest, whether  he  has  endeavored  to  make  his  congre- 
gation feel  that  he  spoke  to  them  because  God  had 
given  him  a  message.     Should  he  find  that  some  of 
his  sermons  have  been  misunderstood,  it  will  furnish 
him  an  occasion  to  explain,  and  he  will  either  correct 


Profitable  Topics.  245 

the  misapprehension  in  a  familiar  conversation,  or  it 
will  furnish  him  an  occasion  for  a  more  full  discus- 
sion in  the  pulpit.  He  may  possibly  find  that  in 
presenting  certain  doctrines,  or  in  urging  to  certain 
duties,  he  has  so  stated  them  that  to  some  of  his 
people  they  seem  to  conflict  with  other  doctrines  or 
with  other  duties.  From  these  cases  he  will  learn 
how  to  be  more  guarded  in  definition,  and  to  discrim- 
inate more  carefully  in  all  his  utterances.  Another 
advantage  will  be  afforded  by  ascertaining  what  class 
of  topics  has  been  most  successful  in  reaching  pecul- 
iar minds.  They  will  tell  him  of  sermons  which 
they  heard  in  former  years,  and  of  the  deep  impres- 
sions they  received  ;  they  will  speak  of  the  precious- 
ness  of  certain  texts  of  Scripture,  and  of  how  much 
comfort  they  have  derived  from  tliem.  Oftentimes  a 
ray  of  light  is  thrown  upon  some  passage  of  Script- 
ure to  which  his  attention  had  never  been  given,  or 
the  connection  of  which  with  religious  experience  he 
had  never  fully  perceived.  Sometimes  these  turns 
of  thought,  learned  in  the  cottage  or  the  cabin,  will 
open  up  a  wonderful  vista  of  scriptural  truth,  looking 
through  which  he  finds  much  that  is  beneficial  to  his 
own  heart  and  to  the  hearts  of  his  hearers.  Some- 
times in  my  own  experience  a  passage  was  so  quoted 
that  it  seemed  altogether  new.  For  a  moment  I 
doubted  whether  it  was  in  the  Bible.  But,  on  reflec- 
tion, I  found  that  I  had  connected  it  with  some  other 
train  of  thought,  seeing  only  one  side  of  the  crystal, 


246  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

when  others  equally  beautiful  had  been  concealed 
from  view.  Many  a  text  have  I  thus  found  for  my 
Sabbath  sermons  as  I  visited  the  garrets  and  cellars 
of  cities,  or  the  abodes  of  the  poor  scattered  through 
the  country.  I  remember,  in  my  early  ministry,  ac- 
companying a  Christian  lady  to  a  poor  dwelling, 
where  we  found  an  old  negro  woman  lying  on  a  little 
straw  upon  the  floor,  and  death  was  evidently  ap- 
proaching ;  yet  she  talked  so  sweetly  of  the  love  of 
Jesus,  so  patiently  as  to  her  su£ferin;^'^s,  with  such 
resignation  to  her  condition,  and  with  hopes  almost 
of  ecstasy  of  her  future,  that  my  heart  was  deeply 
touched.  It  was  not  only  a  lesson  to  me  personally, 
but  I  think  the  influence  of  it  was  felt  in  my  sermons 
for  several  weeks. 

Again,  the  work  of  the  true  preacher  is  to  warn 
every  man,  to  teach  every  man  in  all  wisdom,  and  to 
present  every  man  perfect  before  God.  To  accom- 
plish this  he  must  watch  the  progress  of  his  work  ; 
he  must  add  line  upon  line,  and  precept  upon  pre- 
cept. The  farmer  does  not  sow  the  seed,  and  then 
pay  no  further  attention  to  the  field.  If  the  crop  is 
growing,  he  will  love  to  look  at  it — to  see  it  is  prop- 
erly inclosed  and  protected  ;  to  give  additional  culture 
where  necessary,  or  to  remove  weeds  ;  and  he  will 
look  forward  with  interest  and  with  earnest  expec- 
tation to  the  harvest,  when  the  ripened  fruit  may  be 
gathered  and  preserved.  So  the  preacher  who  is 
sent  of   God   will   love   to  trace   the  growth   of    the 


Personal   WatcJifnhicss.  247 

spiritual  work  under  his  care.     He  saw  last  Sabbath 
the  tear  starting  in  the  eye,  or  the  bowed  head,  and 
he  knew  the  Spirit  of  God  was  writing  lessons  upon 
a  receptive  heart.      He  longs  to  see  that  hearer,  and 
to  converse  with  him  personally  and  closely  on  relig- 
ious topics,  to  remove  his  difficulties,  and  to  lead  him 
nearer  to  the   Saviour.     So  he  will  follow  up  every 
indication  of  spiritual  influence  which  he  notices  in 
his  congregation  ;  and  if  he  perceives  that  some  are 
hardened  and  careless,  he  will  be  anxious  to  converse 
with  them,  to  learn  their  governing  motives,  and  how 
their  hearts  and  consciences  can  be  reached,  for  there 
is    some  avenue   to   every   human   heart.     There    is 
grace  which  enlightens  every  man  that  cometh   into 
the  world,  and  a  measure  of  the  Spirit  is  given   to 
lead  every  one  to  the  Saviour.     The  faithful  pastor 
will  find  that  avenue,  however  guarded ;  will  co-oper- 
ate with   those   movings  of  the  Spirit,  and  will  find 
some  truth  which  will  touch  the  conscience.     Some- 
times he  will  find  that  some  of  his  congregation  are 
wandering  into  sin,  that  evil  influences  are  alluring 
young   men  to  evil   habits.      He   will  anxiously  seek 
some  plan  by  which  these  wanderers  may  be  brought 
nearer  to  the  Church,  and  be  saved  from   ruin.      As 
the   shepherd   who   spends   with   his   flock  the   long 
days  of  summer,  and  who  guards  them  by  night  from 
the  attacks  of  wild  animals,  learns  to  know  and  love 
each  member  of  his  flock — and  if  he  misses  one,  hies 
him   away  to   the  mountains   to   recover   it  ;  so   the 


248  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

true  minister  yearns  over  and  watches  every  member 
of  his  congregation.  God  has  made  him  a  shepherd, 
to  care  for  his  flock  ;  a  watchman,  to  guard  them 
against  danger.  Last  summer  I  spent  several  months 
on  the  vast  mountains  and  plains  that  lie  between  us 
and  the  Pacific  Ocean.  I  frequently  watched  the 
shepherds  with  their  immense  flocks,  and  marked 
their  constant  diligence  and  care.  I  saw  the  herd- 
ers, who  guarded  thousands  of  cattle  on  the  vast 
ranches,  or  the  almost  interminable  plains,  and  was 
surprised  to  observe  the  constant  vigilance  which 
they  exercised.  The  herder  was  always  in  the  sad- 
dle ;  his  eyes  were  on  the  cattle.  If  one  wandered 
toward  a  precipice,  or  was  becoming  separated  from 
the  herd,  so  that  it  was  liable  to  be  destroyed,  it 
was  immediately  followed  with  earnestness  and 
brought  back  to  safety.  How  much  more  responsible 
is  the  office  of  the  Christian  pastor !  If  he  expects 
to  gain  the  affections  of  all  the  members  of  his  con- 
gregation, if  he  desires  to  realize  the  full  fruit  of  his 
sermons,  his  eye  must  be  upon  them,  and  he  must 
exercise  over  them  a  sleepless  vigilance. 

By  this  care  he  will,  also,  become  informed  of  the 
relative  ability  and  fitness  of  the  members  of  the  con- 
gregation for  such  work  as  he  may  need  in  carrying 
out  his  various  plans  of  Church  activity.  He  will, 
also,  thus  gain  increasing  influence  over  the  hearts  of 
the  children.  Much  of  the  sermon  is  necessarily  be- 
yond   their    comprehension.     Not    being   interested, 


Interest  hi  CJiildreu.  24c) 

Church  services  are  wearisome  ;  and  if  they  attend, 
it  is  rather  a  matter  of  form.  The  preacher  is  too 
frequently  a  stranger  to  them — seems  to  overlook 
them — has  no  word  addressed  directly  to  them.  Be- 
ing without  interest  in  the  services,  they  sometimes 
imbibe  toward  the  sanctuary,  and  even  toward  the 
Sabbath,  an  aversion  which  tinges  and  influences 
their  whole  lives.  But  if  children  feel  that  the  preach- 
er is  their  friend,  if  he  has  a  kind  word  for  them  when 
he  visits  in  the  family,  if  he  speaks  to  them  by  name 
when  he  meets  them  on  the  street,  if  he  takes  an  in- 
terest in  their  studies,  inquires  as  to  their  progress, 
and  drops  a  word  of  encouragement  now  and  then, 
they  will  love  to  attend  the  services.  Delighted  to 
meet  him,  they  will  listen  to  his  voice,  and  his  pulpit 
ministrations  will  become  to  them  a  blessing.  Their 
presence  will,  also,  be  an  inspiration  to  him.  As  he 
looks  into  their  bright  eyes  and  expectant  counte- 
nances, as  he  beholds  their  opening  spirits  yearn- 
ing for  truth  and  looking  out  into  the  invisible  and 
eternal,  he  will  be  anxious  to  speak  some  word  that 
shall  draw  them  early  to  a  loving  Saviour.  He  will 
think  of  them  in  his  study  when  he  is  preparing  his 
sermons  ;  he  will  think  of  them  when  he  bows  his 
knees  in  secret  and  implores  a  blessing  on  his  con- 
gregation. While  he  prepares  to  feed  the  sheep,  he 
will  think,  also,  of  the  little  lambs.  His  sermons  will 
be  more  simple  in  their  style,  more  brief  and  pointed 
in  their  sentences,  and  some  incident  will  be  skillful- 


250  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

ly  interwoven  which  will  touch  the  heart  of  a  child. 
That  simplicity,  that  illustration,  will,  also,  touch  the 
hearts  of  those  who  are  older.  Indeed,  there  is  no 
way  by  which  the  good- will  of  mothers  can  be  so 
readily  gained  as  by  kindness  to  their  children,  and 
especially  that  form  of  kindness  which  manifests  a 
deep  anxiety  for  their  mental  and  moral  excellence. 
Fathers,  also,  will  share  in  this  good-will,  and  as  the 
shepherd  makes  the  older  members  of  the  flock  to 
follow  when  he  takes  up  a  little  lamb  and  walks  away, 
so  the  preacher  who  wins  the  heart  of  childhood  finds 
the  parents  drawn  to  his  church,  and  listening  with 
profit  to  his  ministry.  The  story  of  Themistocles  is\ 
well  known.  He  said  of  his  little  boy  :  "  This  child 
is  greater  than  any  man  in  Greece  :  for  the  Athen- 
ians command  the  Greeks,  I  command  the  Athenians, 
his  mother  commands  me,  and  he  commands  his 
mother."* 

Notwithstanding  the  manifest  benefits  resulting 
from  pastoral  work,  there  are  preachers  who  have  a 
great  distaste  for  its  duties.  They  think  they  need 
the  time  for  their  studies.  They  are  timid  about 
visiting  families,  and  they  think  that  the  association, 
in  many  instances,  would  be  both  unpleasant  and  un- 
profitable. Such  preachers  are  greatly  mistaken  as 
to  the  elements  which  they  specially  need.  Pa*storal 
visiting  furnishes  just  that  supplement  to  the  library 
which  the  successful  preacher   absolutely  requires, 

*  Plutarch's  Lives. 


Study  of  Men.  25 1 

In  his  books  he  gauis  a  knowledge  of  subjects,  he 
acquires  abstract  thought,  he  dwells  in  an  intellectual 
realm  of  enchanting  beauty,  he  has  around  him  the 
best  products  of  the  grandest  minds  which  have 
graced  our  earth.  No  wonder  it  is  that  he  desires 
to  spend  the  largest  portion  of  his  time  in  such  fel- 
lowship and  communion.  Yet  he  needs  not  only 
great  thoughts,  but  to  learn  how  to  apply  them  to  hu- 
manity in  all  the  walks  of  life.  He  lives  in  an  intel- 
lectual world  ;  his  thoughts  are  of  the  past,  his  visions 
of  the  future  ;  he  does  not  come  into  contact  with  the 
harassing  cares  and  thoughts  which  agitate  the  bos- 
om of  working  men.  As  Christ  came  down  from 
heaven  and  walked  among  men  that  he  might  do  them 
good,  so  must  the  minister  come  out  of  his  study, 
away  from  the  communion  with  minds  almost  angelic, 
and  walk  in  the  common  paths  of  life.  This  is  not 
only  a  duty,  but  it  is  an  essential  requisite  to  the 
highest  ministerial  success.  He  must  be  a  man 
among  men  to  gain  their  affections,  to  share  in  their 
sympathies.  He  must  walk  with  them  side  by  side  ; 
he  must  let  them  feel  the  throbbings  of  a  brother's 
heart ;  he  must  take  their  hands  in  his  ;  he  must 
take,  to  some  extent,  on  his  heart  their  burdens  and 
sorrows  and  cares  ;  his  humanity  will  be  improved 
and  enlarged  ;  he  will  speak  with  a  sympathy,  tender- 
ness, and  love  unknown  before  ;  the  deep  feeling 
which  he  acquires  in  contact  with  the  people  will 
touch  the  very  tones  of  his  voice   and  make  them 


252  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

sympathetic,  and  the  poorest  in  his  congregation  will 
feel  that  his  words  of  sympathy  and  encouragement 
are  meant  for  them. 

Nor  should  the  minister  hesitate  to  visit  because 
he  is  timid.  That  very  timidity  gives  a  crowning 
grace  to  his  work.  His  people  will  feel  that  he  comes 
to  them,  not  because  he  delights  in  the  mere  work 
of  visiting,  but  because  he  feels  that  he  is  sent  from 
God  to  do  them  good.  He  comes  to  them  as  an  an- 
gel who  descends  from  the  spirit  world  having  a  mes- 
sage to  communicate,  who  breathes  a  heavenly  at- 
mosphere, and  is  ready  to  wing  his  way  back  to  the 
heavenly  courts.  His  spirit  will  be  one  of  tenderness 
and  love  ;  his  conversation  pure  and  instructive  ;  his 
movements  in  the  family  kind  and  elevated.  Alike 
free  from  low  familiarity  and  haughty  reserve,  his 
conversation  will  tend  toward  the  point  for  which  he 
came.  He  will,  indeed,  speak  kindly,  inquire  for 
their  health,  sympathize  with  their  afflictions,  share 
in  their  cares  ;  but  he  comes  to  represent  his  Sa- 
viour, and  to  drop  some  word  which  shall  stimulate 
to  duty,  and  which  shall  inspire  a  higher  spirituality. 
In  the  spirit  of  his  Master  he  will  be  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  prayer.  He  has  visited  because  it  was  his 
duty,  and  he  had  the  promise  that  his  Master  would 
be  with  him  ;  and,  ere  he  leaves,  the  supplications 
which  he  utters,  the  words  which  he  drops,  the  spirit 
which  he  manifests,  are  a  benediction  to  the  family. 
Yes,  a  benediction  to  himself,  for  he  leaves  such  a 


Care  for-  tJie  Least.  253 

place  more  like  Christ  than  when  he  entered.  Nor 
must  these  visits  be  confined  to  the  wealthy  and  the 
educated.  The  poor  and  the  ignorant  need  more 
help  than  those  who  are  educated  and  prosperous. 
If  there  be  prisons,  poor-houses,  and  hospitals  within 
your  sphere,  neglect  not  them.  The  great  Head  of 
the  Church  puts  himself  in  the  place  of  the  weakest 
of  his  followers,  and  says  :  "  I  was  sick,  and  in  pris- 
on, and  ye  visited  me  not ;  "  and  when  the  wonder- 
ing heart  asks  how  and  when,  the  answer  comes, 
"  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of 
these,  ye  did  it  not  to  me."  Or  if  the  visit  is  paid, 
if  the  hunger  or  thirst  is  assuaged,  if  the  naked  are 
clothed,  and  the  strangers  cared  for,  how  sweet  the 
accent,  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  to  one  of  the  least 
of  these,  ye  did  it  unto  me."  I  shall  never  forget 
how  vividly  this  passage  came  to  my  mind  as  an  il- 
lustration of  human  feeling,  when,  years  since,  I  was 
traveling  in  Eastern  lands.  I  was  in  feeble  health, 
and  thought  it  doubtful  whether  I  ever  should  see 
my  family  again.  I  received  a  letter  narrating  an  act 
of  kindness  which  had  been  performed  by  a  friend 
for  my  youngest  child,  a  little  girl  :  in  a  moment 
my  heart  leaped  across  the  sea  and  over  the  mount- 
ains, and  in  grateful  recognition  I  said  in  my 
thoughts  to  my  loving  friend,  "  Inasmuch  as  you  did 
it  to  the  least  of  these,  you  did  it  unto  me."  It  was 
to  me  more  precious,  when  done  in  my  absence  to 
my  little  child,  than  had  it  been  done  when    present 


254  Lectures  Ox\  Preaching, 

for  myself.  A  sweet  charm  has  rested  in  my  mind 
on  those  words  ever  since.  It  seems  to  me  that 
Jesus  is  better  pleased  with  a  cup  of  cold  water 
given  to  a  disciple  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  than  he 
was  when  the  woman  of  Samaria  gave  to  his  weary 
lips  the  draught  from  Jacob's  well. 

If  any  6f  you,  young  gentlemen,  are  troubled  with 
timidity,  and  think  you  cannot  visit  because  you  are 
timid,  let  me  say,  for  your  encouragement,  that  I 
think  I  was  as  timid  as  you  can  possibly  be.  When 
coming  to  the  years  of  a  young  man  it  was  a  pos- 
itive pain  for  me  to  visit  the  houses  even  of  friends. 
Many  a  time  I  walked  by  the  door  of  a  neighbor's 
house  when  I  went  on  an  errand,  waiting  five  or  ten 
minutes  for  some  one  to  come  to  the  door,  rather 
than  to  knock  and  enter  in.  So  bashful  was  I  that 
many  a  time  I  walked  around  a  square  rather  than 
to  meet  a  young  lady  whom  I  saw  coming  on  the 
street.  I  had  much  of  this  timidity  when  I  entered 
the  ministry  ;  and  with  nervous  influence  the 
palms  of  my  hands  seemed  to  burn  at  the  very 
thought  of  going  out  to  visit.  But  I  felt  I  must  go  ; 
the  Church  bade  me  go  ;  I  had  promised  God  I 
would  go,  and  as  the  soldier  in  the  army  walks  for- 
ward timidly,  yet  determinedly,  into  the  thickest  of 
the  fight,  so  I  went  in  my  Master's  name.  If  I 
could,  I  took  with  me  some  experienced  Christian, 
especially  into  strange  houses,  and  into  poor  and 
vicious  localities.     I  spake  to  the  poor  kindly,  drew 


Visiting,  a  Rc:rcation.  255 

out  of  them  their  religious  education  and  experi- 
ence, found  many  a  wandering  one,  and  tried  to  com- 
fort many  a  sorrowing  heart.  Such  visits  made  me 
better,  taught  me  to  feel  for  the  people,  and  to  break 
with  more  tenderness  to  them  the  bread  of  life.  In 
a  revival  which  followed,  out  of  nearly  three  hundred 
who  came  to  the  altar  of  prayer,  there  were  very 
few  with  whom  I  had  not  previously  conversed, 
and  I  knew  how  to  enter  into  their  sympathies  and 
to  point  them  to  the  Lamb  of  God. 

Nor  will  this  visiting,  if  systematically  performed, 
interfere  with  a  proper  amount  of  study.  After  the 
morning  has  been  devoted  to  close  thought  the  min- 
ister needs  recreation.  His  walking  to  and  fro,  his 
climbing  stairs  into  garrets  and  descending  into  cel- 
lars, his  walking  into  the  suburbs  of  villages  or  rid- 
ing into  country  places,  to  talk  of  Jesus  and  to  in- 
struct the  young,  will  furnish  recreation  as  invigora- 
tion  to  health,  and  as  little  interfering  with  his  stud- 
ies, as  the  amusements  in  which  so  many  spend 
their  leisure  hours.  Indeed,  so  far  from  being  a  loss 
intellectually,  the  opportunity  to  apply  a  portion  of 
Scripture  we  have  been  studying,  to  unfold  some 
promise  on  which  we  have  dwelt,  makes  us  see  more 
clearly  the  truth  we  wish  to  portray,  and  enables  us 
the  better  to  prepare  for  the  sermon  of  the  following 
Sabbath.  The  true  teacher  is  frequently  benefited 
by  the  lesson  which  he  imparts,  even  more  than  the 
learner. 


256  Lectures  on  Preaching, 

It  does  not  fall  within  my  purpose  to  enumerate 
the  various  modes  in  which  this  work  may  be  per- 
formed, or  to  dwell  on  the  specific  lessons  which  should 
be  given  ;  but  I  may  say  that  all  coarseness,  vulgar- 
ii}',  and  low  expressions  should  be  strictly  avoided. 
There  should  be  cheerfulness  and  social  feeling,  but 
no  undue  familiarity.  We  enter  the  houses  of  friends 
because  we  are  indorsed  by  the  Church  ;  the  office 
of  minister  gains  us  invitations  where  we  are  person- 
ally but  little  known.  We  go  in  the  character  of 
Christian  gentlemen,  and  of  holy  men  of  God.  If 
we  do  not  so  conduct  ourselves  we  violate  propriety, 
disappoint  our  friends,  and  bring  reproach  upon  the 
ministry  and  the  Church.  Every  family  should  feel 
when  we  leave  that  a  servant  of  the  Lord  Jesus  has 
been  among  them,  and  some  influence  should  re- 
main which  will  make  religion  appear  more  beauti- 
ful and  heavenly. 

It  is  particularly,  however,  in  its  reflex  influence 
o\  the  pulpit,  that  we  consider  this  subject.  With- 
out such  visiting  the  sermons  are  likely  to  become 
essays  or  orations — full  of  thought  and  of  learning, 
but  not  specially  directed  to  the  benefit  of  the  audi- 
ence. To  give  his  sermon  directness  of  aim  and  to 
strike  the  heart,  the  minister  must  be  a  student  of 
human  nature.  He  needs  to  mingle  with  society  in 
all  its  forms,  and  to  understand  its  various  necessi- 
ties. He  must  learn  the  sources  of  sorrow  and  joy, 
of  hope  and  fear,  that  arise  in  the  daily  walks  of  life. 


Liability  to  Excess.  257 

It  is  true,  he  may  get  glimpses  of  human  nature  from 
distinguished  writers — characters  beautifully  por- 
trayed by  the  pen  of  Shakspeare  ;  he  may  note  the 
workings  of  the  human  mind  as  developed  in  mental 
philosophy  ;  but  his  allusions  to  these  will  be  like 
sparkling  gems  which  here  and  there  adorn  his  exer- 
cises. What  the  congregation  needs  is  the  pouring 
forth  of  a  heart  which  is  filled  with  sympathy  for  their 
peculiar  necessities,  and  in  their  peculiar  circum- 
stances. ■-• 

There  are,  however,  some  ministers  to  whom  pas- 
toral visiting  is  not  of  great  service.  They  have 
been  accustomed  to  mingle  with  the  people  ;  they 
enjoy  society,  shake  hands  with  every  one  they  meet, 
and  are  at  home  every-where.  Such  men  need  their 
books  more  than  they  need  society.  They  are  loving, 
earnest,  pleasant  preachers,  but  are  seldom  profound 
and  solid  thinkers.  Their  congregations  love  to  meet 
them,  but  they  think  more  of  their  conversations  at 
the  fireside  than  they  do  of.  their  work  in  the  pulpit. 
Such  ministers  may  be  met  at  almost  every  funeral, 
and  have  time  to  go  to  the  cemetery,  even  if  it  be 
three  or  four  miles  distant.  They  attend  every  festi- 
val in  the  different  churches,  mingle  in  all  gather- 
ings, know  every  body,  and  learn  every  thing  except 
how  to  honor  their  Master  and  his  cause  in  their 
public  sermons.  Sometimes  young  men  who  aspire 
for  nobler  things,  who  behold  a  radiant  glory  in  gos- 
pel truth,  and  have  a  longing  desire  to  unfold  it,  are 
17 


258  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

repelled  from  visiting  by  the  superficial  character  of 
the  pulpit  exercises  of  this  class  of  men.  Yet  they 
should  remember  that  these  men  do  but  little  of  true 
pastoral  work.  They  call  familiarly  in  various  families, 
and  join  in  jokes  and  laughter,  sit  down  in  a  circle 
to  smoke  cigars,  are  ready  to  join  in  any  recreation 
or  amusement,  and  leave  without  a  word  sp'^ken  for 
Jesus,  or  a  prayer  offered  in  behalf  of  the  family. 
Seldom  is  such  a  man  found  in  the  cabins  of  the  poor, 
by  the  bedside  of  the  sick,  or  in  close  sympathetic 
conference  with  the  prodigal  young  man  who  is 
breaking  the  heart  of  his  father  and  mother,  and  is 
wandering  into  the  depths  of  sin.  Seldom  is  he 
found  pleading  with  such  a  one  to  reform  his  life  and 
to  turn  to  his  Saviour.  Seldom  is  he  found  in  ear- 
nest conversation,  endeavoring  to  bring  heavenly 
consolation  to  the  heart  of  the  suffering  widow,  or  to 
drop  a  word  of  instruction  and  comfort  to  the  orphan 
child.  Seldom  is  he  found  visiting  the  man  of  busi- 
ness who  is  in  deep  embarrassment  and  distress> 
and  whose  heart  is  wrung  with  agony  under 
the  pressure  of  difficulties  and  responsibilities.  As 
the  result  of  long  observation,  I  am  satisfied  that 
those  who  are  the  closest  students,  and  are  by  nature 
the  most  tiniid,  become  the  best  pastors  when  they 
conquer  themselves  and  instruct  the  people  from 
house  to  house :  for  they  go,  not  to  spend  the  mo- 
ments in  trivial  conversation,  but  they  go  under  the 
conviction  that  Christ  has  sent  them  as  his  servants, 


Life  of  yesus.  259 

and  in  his  stead  ta  bear  his  benediction  to  the  house- 
hold. Their  words  are  not  words  of  mere  compli- 
ment, but  of  light  and  joy  drawn  from  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  They  tell  of  the  wonderful  love  of 
Christ,  and  the  exhaustless  store  of  spiritual  riches 
in  reserve  for  those  who  love  him.  Their  touch  is  as 
the  helping  hands  of  brothers  who  lift  up  the  lowly, 
the  discouraged,  and  the  sorrowing. 

What  had  the  life  of  Jesus  been  to  us,  if  we  had 
only  the  record  (^i  his  sermons,  without  the  record  of 
his  going  about  doing  good  .-*  We  listen  to  his  words 
as  voices  from  above,  but  our  hearts  dravv  closer  to 
him  when  we  see  him  opening  the  eyes  of  the  blind, 
and  stooping  to  touch  the  leper,  who,  in  his  degrada- 
tion, is  loathed  by  society.  It  is  the  heavens  kissing 
the  earth  ;  it  is  God  in  contact  with  the  human  soul. 
In  such  a  record  Jesus  becomes  Emmanuel,  God 
with  us.  I  think  the  every-day  life  of  Jesus  touches 
the  human  heart  more  than  the  great  truths  which 
he  uttered.  Both  were  necessary.  Without  truth, 
the  human  soul  would  not  have  been  elevated  ;  with- 
out the  corresponding  life,  that  truth  would  not  have 
borne  such  rich  fruitage.  If  the  young  preacher  de- 
sires to  be  a  true  successor  of  the  apostles,  let  him 
imitate  the  plans  and  the  work  of  Jesus,  and  let  him 
follow  the  apostles  as  they  followed  their  glorious 
Master. 

You  will  not  fancy,  I  know,  that  I  underrate  the 
value  of  close  study  and  the  acquisition  of  all  possi- 


26o  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

ble  knowledge  that  may  assist  the  minister.  But" 
when  I  take  the  New  Testament  in  my  hands,  I  find 
the  Saviour  and  his  apostles  teaching  the  people, 
visiting  the  sick,  healing  the  wretched,  comforting 
the  sorrowing,  and  being  much  in  prayer;  but  I  find 
not  a  single  direction  how  to  write  a  sermon  or  to 
read  it,  or  how  to  manage  the  voice  and  the  gestures 
so  as  to  be  accounted  an  eloquent  orator.  They  had 
the  truth  by  direct  inspiration  ;  we  must  study  to  at- 
tain it.  But,  with  that  truth  given,  they  seem  to 
have  thought  of  nothing  but  going  forth,  burning, 
shining,  blazing,  in  all  the  glory  of  a  Gospel,  of  glad 
tidings,  and  without  one  thought  of  appearance  or 
manner,  simply  presenting  the  truth  so  as  to  touch 
the  hearts  and  consciences  of  the  people.  As  Christ 
and  his  apostles  did  not  dwell  at  all  upon  what  occu- 
pies the  minds  of  so  many  young  ministers,  so  I  fear 
that  many  think  but  little  of  what  burned  in  the 
liearts  of  Christ  and  his  apostles. 

There  are  a  few  large  Churches  where  the  congrega- 
tions are  so  immense  and  the  membership  is  so  nu- 
merous that  it  seems  impossible  for  the  pastor  to 
know  his  people.  Such  is  Spurgeon's,  with  his  five 
thousand  membership,  and  such  are  a  few  large  con- 
gregations in  our  principal  cities.  The  pastoral 
work  in  such  cases  is  performed  by  assistants  em- 
ployed by  the  pastor  or  the  congregations.  There 
are  some  young  men  who  feel  so  conscious  of  their 
superior  power,  who   have  such    a   premonition    of 


Begin  Lozu.  261 

coming  greatness,  that,  imitating  the  example  of 
these  distinguished  ministers,  they  resolve  to  devote 
themselves  to  their  study  and  to  preaching,  and  to 
spend  their  life  in  something  more  noble  than  visit- 
ing the  people.  Such  young  men  should  remember 
that  these  eminent  ministers  began  either  in  country 
places  or  with  small  congregations.  So  far  as  I  am 
acquainted  with  men  who  have  built  these  mammoth 
institutions,  they  began  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  ; 
they  mingled  with  the  common  people,  studied  the 
common  people,  preached  to  the  common  people, 
and  in  this  way  gained  that  knowledge  of  human 
nature  which  enabled  them  to  draw  immense  con- 
gregations around  them.  As  well  might  the  young 
merchant,  without  experience  or  capital,  expect  at 
once  to  have  the  marble  palace  of  A.  T.  Stewart,  as 
the  young  minister  the  congregation  of  a  Spurgeon 
or  a  Beecher.  They  began  at  the  bottom  of  the 
ladder  in  a  country  place,  and  climbed  up.  The 
young  man  who  begins  at  the  top  of  the  ladder  inva- 
riably climbs  down. 


262       Lectures  on  Preaching. 


LECTURE    IX. 

COLLATERAL  AND  MISCELLANEOUS  WORK. 

"^  I  ^HE  range  of  a  preacher's  work  is  widely  ex- 
-^  tended.  His  chief  labor  is  in  the  pulpit,  and 
in  pastoral  visiting  among  the  members.  There 
are,  however,  many  collateral  fields  which  he  must 
cultivate,  some  of  which  are  essential  to  the  stabil- 
ity and  growth  of  his  congregation.  Closely  con- 
nected with  preaching  is  the  offering  of  public 
prayer.  This  service  should  be  conducted  with  that 
reverence  which  indicates  the  deep  piety  of  the 
minister,  and  which  may  inspire  the  people  with 
solemnity  and  devotion.  Prayer  should  issue  from 
a  heart  which  feels  its  own  wants,  and  which  is  in 
sympathy  with  the  wants  of  the  congregation.  In 
this  service  thanksgiving  should  ever  occupy  a  prom- 
inent place,  because  of  the  multitude  of  mercies 
received,  both  personally  and  as  a  congregation,  and 
because  the  spirit  of  thanksgiving  is  always  appro- 
priate. People  should  frequently  be  reminded  of  the 
blessings  which  they  so  constantly  enjoy,  because 
there  is  such  a  tendency  to  murmur  and  complain  at 
the  lot  which  they  occupy.  Among  the  Jews  sac- 
rifices of  thanksgiving  were  required  under  the  law  ; 


Solcuiiiity  in  Prayer.  263 

and  the  psalmist  frequently  exhorts  to  come  before 
God  with  thanksgiving.  In  the  New  Testament  we 
are  taught,  "  with  thanksgiving,  let  your  requests  be 
made  known  unto  God."  There  should,  also,  be  the 
confession  of  sins,  personal,  social,  and  national  ; 
the  deprecation  of  God's  wrath  ;  the  prayer  for  par- 
don through  the  atoning  merits  of  Christ,  and  the 
expression  of  trust  in  the  willingness  and  power  of 
the  great  Father  to  bless  and  save. 

Prayer  should  be  offered  in  such  a  devotional 
spirit  that  the  people  shall  feel  that  the  minister  is 
conscious  of  the  presence  of  the  great  Jehovah, 
and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  already  communicating 
with  his  heart.  No  words  indicating  lack  of  rever- 
ence, no  expressions  of  familiarity,  no  real  address 
to  the  people  under  the  garb  of  prayer,  should  be 
employed;  and  even  the  name  of  the  Deity  should  be 
so  uttered  as  to  indicate  the  solemn  awe  with  which 
even  a  redeemed  spirit  should  approach  the  throne. 
The  p.'eacher's  evident  access  to  the  mercy-seat  in- 
spires the  hearts  of  the  people,  tie  utters  petitions 
for  what  his  own  heart  needs  ;  and  while  he  prays 
for  himself  many  an  aching  heart  is  comforted  under 
the  power  of  his  pathetic,  fervent  prayer.  He  also 
enters  into  the  sympathies  of  the  people,  and  in 
their  name,  and  as  in  their  places,  pours  out  earnest 
supplications  for  needed  mercy.  This  spirit  of 
prayer  prepares  the  hearts  of  the  people  for  the 
reception   of  the   word.     As    the   minister  prays   in 


264  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

the  consciousness  of  his  own  weakness  for  divine 
help  ;  as  he  pleads  for  the  presence  and  power  of 
the  great  Head  of  the  Church  ;  as  he  prays  that  the 
people  may  receive  the  truth  which  he  is  about  to 
utter,  and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  by  his  sacred  in- 
fluences may  rest  upon  every  one,  this  spirit  of 
prayer  descends,  also,  upon  the  congregation.  Thus 
brought  as  into  the  immediate  presence  of  God,  they, 
too,  look  for  the  purifying  influences  of  the  blessed 
Spirit,  and  their  hearts  are  brought  into  sympathy 
with  the  speaker.  To  some  extent  they  feel  the 
pressure  of  his  great  thoughts  ;  the  burden  which 
lies  on  his  heart  is  in  part  transferred  to  them  ;  they 
spend  the  hour  in  worship,  in  the  beauty  of  holiness  ; 
and  much  of  the  profit  of  the  service  comes  from  the 
hallowing  influence  of  the  prayer  which  has  been 
offered. 

That  the  minister  may  have  the  true  spirit  of 
prayer  in  the  pulpit  he  will  need  to  cultivate  secret 
prayer,  also.  It  is  in  his  closet  the  divine  power  is 
gained  which  manifests  itself  in  the  midst  of  public 
duties.  Our  Saviour  says:  "When  thou  prayest, 
enter  into  thy  closet,  and  when  thou  hast  shut  thy 
door,  pray  to  thy  Father  which  is  in  secret ;  and  thy 
Father  which  seeth  in  secret  shall  reward  thee  open- 
ly." In  harmony  with  this  is  the  beautiful  language 
of  the  psalmist:  "He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret 
place  of  the  Most  High,  shall  abide  under  the  shadow 
of  the  Almighty."     The  closet  of  the  Christia:i  be- 


Prayer-viectiugs.  265 

comes  thus  a'lied  to  the  holy  of  holies  in  the  tem- 
ple. Thither  the  high-priest  passed  once  a  year, 
and  was  for  a  moment  as  under  the  wings  of  the 
cherubim,  and  face  to  face  with  ihe  divine  Shekinah. 
But  the  Christian  in  the  holy  service  of  secret  prayer 
abides  under  that  shadow,  while  the  divine  Shekinah 
ever  illumines  and  warms  his  heart.  Then  are  real- 
ized the  promises  which  are  made  to  him  who  makes 
the  Most  High  "  his  habitation."  The  length  of  the 
prayer  may,  very  properly,  vary  with  the  spirit  of  the 
preacher  and  the  circumstances  of  the  congregation. 
But,  as  a  general  rule,  I  doubt  whether  extempora- 
neous prayer  should  exceed  ten,  or,  at  the  utmost, 
fifteen,  minutes,  as  the  people  are  liable  to  become 
wearied,  and  then  the  spirit  of  devotion  is  weak- 
ened. 

In  conducting  meetings  for  social  prayer  the  tact 
and  skill  of  the  preacher  find  a  wide  field.  This 
service,  as  in  distinction  from  the  Sabbath  service, 
is  designed  for  the  whole  Church,  and  the  minister 
should  not  occupy  an  undue  proportion.  Some  min- 
isters kill  their  prayer-meetings  by  their  long  prayers, 
reading  long  chapters,  and  giving  long  exhortations. 
They  should  remember  that  the  people  are  benefited 
by  taking  part,  and  that  as  many  as  possible  should 
be  induced  to  join  in  these  social  services.  The 
more  who  speak  or  pray,  the  better  is  it  for  the 
growth  of  the  Church  and  for  the  development  of 
the  moral  power  of  the  congregation.     In  this  way, 


266  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

also,  the  minister  may  best  learn  the  relio^ious  con- 
dition of  his  people.  Especially  should  the  young 
convert  be  encouraged  to  speak  and  pray.  In  New 
Testament  times  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  upon  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  gift  of  tongues  was  for  the  young  con- 
vert as  well  as  for  the  old.  If  children  did  not  learn 
to  speak  in  early  childhood,  the-  tongue  would  be 
clumsy  all  through  life.  So  should  the  young  Chris- 
tian be  encouraged  to  join  at  once  in  the  social  serv- 
ices of  the  congregation  ;  as  in  the  family  the  old  and 
middle-aged  and  children  freely  mingle  together,  so 
should  it  be  in  the  Church  of  God.  Nor  should  the 
minister  go  to  his  prayer-meeting  without  prepara- 
tion. Let  him  have  some  topic  on  which  his  thoughts 
will  be  arranged  and  condensed.  Let  him  select 
something  which  will  call  forth  the  sympathy,  in- 
spire the  prayers,  or  increase  the  activities  of  his 
people.  Commencing  promptly  at  the  moment,  let 
his  own  services  be  spirited  and  brief,  and  then  let 
him  guide  the  current  of  the  congregation.  Brief 
prayers,  interspersed  with  a  few  verses  of  Christian 
song,  and  such  utterances  as  the  members  may  wish 
to  make,  under  the  teaching  and  example  of  the 
pastor,  may  profitably  occupy  the  evening  hour.  Un- 
der some  ministers  the  prayer-meeting  is  the  glory 
of  the  Church,  and  a  large  part  of  the  congregation 
attends.  Under  others  interest  diminishes,  and 
scarcely  as  many  attend  as  are  necessary  to  conduct 
the  services. 


The  Sunday-school.  267 

The  Sunday-scbocl  should  always  receive  the  care- 
ful attention  of  the  minister.  He  should  teach  the 
Church  that  the  school  is  a  part  of  its  legitimate 
work,  and  under  its  careful  control — not  a  some- 
thing outside  of  the  Church,  but  a  regular  part  of  its 
Sabbath  services.  Wherever  Churches  are  regu- 
larly established,  I  have  no  sympathy  with  what  are 
termed  union  schools,  or  institutions  without  specific 
religious  management  and  government.  In  sparsely 
settled  sections  of  country,  where  no  denomination 
is  strong  enough  to  maintain  a  school,  or  in  neigh- 
borhoods where  no  Church  is  organized,  such  schools 
may  be  of  great  profit,  and  should  be  encouraged  ; 
but  wherever  a  Church  is  organized  the  children  of 
the  Church  should  be  taught  by  the  Church,  and 
should  thus  be  identified  with  its  spirit  and  with  its 
movements.  In  many  places  a  positive  injury  has 
arisen  in  the  separation  of  the  school  from  the 
Church.  The  children  are  placed  under  the  con- 
trol of  irresponsible  parties,  and  the  Sunday-school 
superintendent,  not  unfrequently,  places  himself  in 
a  kind  of  antagonism  to  the  minister.  Such  a  course 
is  ever  disastrous.  The  lambs  of  the  flock  should 
be  the  special  care  of  the  minister,  and  he  fails  in 
his  duty  if  he  does  not,  in  harmony  with  Church 
order,  carefully  supervise  the  interests  of  the  school. 
He  should  not  seek  to  supersede  the  superintendent, 
nor  to  interfere  with  his  government  of  the  school  ; 
but   the    superintendent    and    the    teachers    should 


268  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

ever  be  in  harmony  with  the  preacher,  and  should 
consider  themselves  as  but  a  part  of  his  official 
staff. 

The  supervision  of  the  minister  should  extend 
particularly  to  the  selection  of  books  for  the  library 
that  is  to  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  teachers 
and  of  the  children  of  the  school.  It  is  but  seldom 
that  superintendents  and  teachers,  engrossed  with 
the  busy  cares  of  life,  have  full  time  to  examine  the 
multitudinous  issues  of  the  press  which  are  sought 
to  be  placed  in  these  libraries.  Each  publisher  has 
a  list  of  his  own  books,  and  wishes  to  sell  them. 
He  exchanges  with  other  publishers,  and  thus  may 
have  a  very  large  variety.  He  is  so  occupied  with 
the  financial  affairs  of  his  establishment  that  he 
may  not  know  the  precise  character  of  the  teach- 
ings of  the  books  which  he  publishes.  Without  in- 
tending to  do  wrong,  he  recommends  works  which 
ought  not  to  find  their  way  into  Sunday-schools.  A 
committee  is  oftentimes  appointed  by  the  teachers  to 
purchase  a  library.  It  is  frequently  composed  of 
men  who  are  good  and  earnest  and  true ;  but  they 
are  not  extensively  acquainted  with  religious  litera- 
ture, and  they  purchase  such  works  as  have  pretty 
titles,  are  well  printed,  are  recommended  by  pub- 
lishers, and,  above  all,  which  are  of  a  low  price. 
In  this  way  books  of  doubtful  or  erroneous  doctrinal 
teachings,  or  which  sanction  unchristian  conduct,  or 
works   of    fiction    without    either    hish    imasrination 


Church  Organization.  269 

or  beautiful  style  to  recommend  them,  are  placed  in 
the  library,  and  they  vitiate  rather  than  improve  the 
taste.  The  books  introduced  into  the  Sunday- 
school  should  contain  such  doctrinal  or  practical 
teaching  as  may  be  in  harmony  with  the  Church  ; 
otherwise,  the  influence  of  the  Sabbath-school  may 
not  only  be  of  little  service,  but  may  even  become  of 
positive  injury  to  the  interests  of  the  congregation. 
In  this  day  of  light  and  loose  and  skeptical  publica- 
tions, no  duty  is  more  imperative  on  the  minister 
than  to  exercise  a  watchful  supervision  over  the  lit- 
erature which  is  purchased  by  the  Church,  and  is 
placed  by  the  Church  in  the  Sunday-school  library 
for  the  use  of  its  children.  For  the  young  have  a 
right  to  regard  the  teachings  of  such  works  as  sanc- 
tioned by  the  Church. 

No  matter  how  great  maybe  the  intellectual  power 
and  personal  influence  of  the  preacher,  he  cannot  ac- 
complish his  work  unaided  and  alone.  He  is  the 
general  of  an  army,  but  he  cannot  conquer  without 
soldiers.  He  must  have  others  to  assist  him.  The 
duty  of  a  preacher,  then,  is  to  study  carefully  the  ge- 
nius and  organization  of  his  Church,  and  to  secure 
all  the  assistance  which  that  organization  can  furnish. 
Whatever  officers,  whether  elders  or  deacons,  trustees 
or  stewards  or  leaders,  may  constitute  the  officiary  of 
his  Church,  he  is  to  place  himself  in  intimate  rela- 
tions with  each  and  all  of  them.  His  study  should 
be  how  to  employ,  to  the  utmost  degree,  their  talents 


270  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

in  Church  activities,  so  as  to  assist  in  Church  devel- 
opment and  in  aggressive  work.  He  should  further 
study  how  to  enlist  the  entire  talent  of  his  Church 
members,  old  and  young,  men  and  women,  in  spheres 
of  active  usefulness.  This  he  should  do,  not  only  for 
the  assistance  which  they  give  him,  but  for  the  ben- 
efit which  results  first  to  the  Church,  and  then  to 
themselves.  The  true  teacher  is  ever  a  learner. 
There  is  no  process  by  which  our  learning  becomes 
accurate  and  methodical  so  soon  as  by  attempting  to 
communicate  it  to  others  ;  hence  every  one  who  is 
engaged  in  doing  good  is  also  engaged  in  self-devel- 
opment and  culture.  In  different  denominations 
Church  organizations  vary,  but,  be  the  organization 
what  it  may,  the  great  object  is  to  develop  into  per- 
fect Christians  the  entire  membership,  and  to  act  upon 
the  world  as  an  attractive  and  aggregating  power 
which  constantly  adds  to  its  own  magnitude.  There 
are  some  lines  of  Church  work,  however,  which  are 
common  to  all.  First,  there  are  social  meetings  in 
the  Church,  which  all  should  be  invited  to  attend.  It 
should  be  the  study  of  the  preacher,  on  the  one  hand, 
to  make  these  meetings  interesting  as  well  as  profit- 
able, and,  on  the  other  hand,  to  induce  every  member 
of  his  congregation  to  feel  identified  with  them. 
Some  he  can  skillfully  draw  into  a  religious  conversa- 
tion, others  into  prayer.  In  every  assembly  there  are 
musical  voices  which  should  be  cultured  in  and  for 
divine  worship.      The  minister  should  draw  to   the 


Poor   VcJililation.  271 

prayer  room  the  best  singers  of  his  congregation, 
who  are  willing  to  join  in  the  simple  songs  of  worship, 
and  who  may  either  lead  or  give  volume  to  the  voice 
of  grateful  song.  For  want  of  a  little  thoughtful  at- 
tention no  person  may  be  present  who  can  lead  the 
singing,  and  the  pleasure  and  profit  of  the  evening 
is  not  only  impaired,  but  many  who  are  present  will 
not  return  again.  Upon  others  he  can  lay  the  duty 
of  seeing  that  the  room  has  been  well  aired,  and  that 
the  sexton  has  made  it  comfortable.  The  pleasant 
conjuncture  of  external  circumstances  furnishes  op- 
portunity for  pleasant  and  profitable  meetings  ;  but 
an  illy  ventilated  room,  one  that  is  too  cold  or  too 
warm,  a  broken  pane  of  glass  that  admits  a  current 
of  air,  or  a  door  which  creaks  on  its  hinges  every 
time  it  is  opened  or  shut,  or,  in  country  places, 
lamps  that  are  untrimmed  and  smoking,  destroy  the 
pleasure  of  the  congregation,  and  mar  the  profit  of 
the  meeting.  All  these  external  matters  may  be  ar- 
ranged by  the  foresight  of  the  pastor,  and  his  mem- 
bers will  be  blessed  by  being  door-keepers  or  doing 
other  service  for  the  house  of  God. 

The  principles  of  ventilation  are  generally  but 
poorly  understood  by  sexcons.  They  usually  con- 
found warm  air  with  pure  air,  and  keep  the  rooms 
closed  to  have  them  warm.  The  interest  of  many  a 
service  is  destroyed  by  this  means.  People  wonder 
what  is  the  matter  with  their  preacher  and  with  them- 
selves.    They  have   no   life,  no  enthusiasm.      They 


2/2  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

cannot  have  any  when  their  lungs  are  loaded  with 
impure  exhalations,  and  the  brain  is  oppressed  with 
imperfectly   oxygenated   blood.      I    believe   that   the 
health  of  many  a  minister  suffers  severely,  and  his 
life  is  not  unfrequently  shortened,  in  consequence  of 
the  poor  ventilation  of  crowded  houses.     I  wish  we 
could  have  an  art  school  for  sextons,  if  it  were  only 
possible  to  get  them  together  ;  or  a  course  of  lect- 
ures ;  or,  in  default  thereof,  even  a  good  manual  to 
guide  them  in  their  duties.     Some  of  them  are  intel- 
ligent and  skillful,  and  worthy  of  praise  ;    but    too 
many,  especially  in  small  churches,  are  grossly  igno- 
rant.    A  minister  with  whom  I  was  well  acquainted 
related  to  me  a  scene  he  had  witnessed.     A  church 
in  a  country  place  had  been  enlarged  and  repaired, 
and  an  opening  service  was  to  be  held,  at  which  he 
was  invited  to  officiate.     The  trustees  had  bought  a 
thermometer,  and  had  charged  the  sexton  he  must 
keep  the  temperature  from  60°  to  70°,  but  must  in 
no  case  permit  it  to  be  higher  than  70^.     The  day 
was  a  little  cool,  and  the  minister  noticed  the  sexton 
examining  the  thermometer,  which  hung  against  one 
of  the   columns.     Then    he  put  wood  in  the  stove. 
In  a  few  minutes  afterward  he  examined  the  ther- 
mometer, and  put  more  wood  in  the  stove.      After 
awhile    he   examined    the    thermometer    again,  and 
seemed    in    trouble.      He    opened    the    stove    door ; 
looked  again,  scratched  his  head,  and,  finally,  as  if  a 
sudden  thought  struck  him,  he  seized  the  thermom- 


Form  Associations.  273 

eter  in  both  hands  and  rushed  with  it  out  of  doors, 
determined  to  bring  it  down  to  70°. 

The  minister  will,  also,  need  to  study  the  tempera- 
ments and  qualifications  of  his  members  for  the  spir- 
itual work  of  the  Church.  He  should  aid  the  super- 
intendent of  the  Sabbath-school  in  selecting  teachers, 
and  in  urging  those  who  are  qualified  to  engage  in 
that  work.  The  love  for  Bible  studies,  and  the  zeal 
for  their  pursuit,  will  depend  greatly  on  the  spirit 
which  the  pastor  may  infuse  among  the  teachers, 
and  which  shall  through  them  pervade  the  Sabbath- 
school.  The  pastor  will,  also,  need  assistance  in  vis- 
iting the  sick,  and  in  calling  upon  strangers,  and  in 
inviting  them  to  the  house  of  God.  This  can  be 
done  most  effectively  by  the  co-operation  of  pious 
men  and  women,  who  can  assist  him  in  visiting  and 
relieving  cases  of  suffering,  and  in  reporting  their 
condition  to  him.  Committees,  properly  appointed, 
may  call  upon  strangers,  and  may  gather  many  wan- 
derers under  the  care  of  the  Church.  Such  work, 
however,  is  seldom  performed,  systematically  or  prop- 
erly, without  the  constant  supervision  of  the  pastor. 
Active  associations  should,  also,  be  formed  to  employ 
the  time  and  talents  of  the  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion ;  such  as  lyceums  or  literary  organizations  for 
the  young  ;  societies  for  teaching  the  poof  chil- 
dren to  sew  and  to  make  plain  clothing  ;  Dorcas 
societies,  for  aiding  the  poor   in    procuring  clothing 

and  absolute  necessaries  in  winter.    The  aim  of  the 

18 


2/4  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

minister  should  be  to  find  some  work  to  employ  all 
the  members  of  his  congregation  ;  for  in  proportion 
as  they  work  for  the  Master's  cause  they  will  be 
drawn  most  powerfully  to  a  spiritual  life.  This  be- 
nevolent movement  of  the  congregation  will,  also, 
impress  the  public  mind  with  admiration  for  the 
liberal  and  generous  character  of  the  Chuich.  It 
was  said  of  Christ,  that  he  v/as  full  of  grace  and 
truth.  This  fullness  of  grace,  or  manifestation  of  fa- 
vor and  kindness  to  the  people,  distinguished  his 
whole  life.  He  healed  the  bodies  first,  the  souls  aft- 
erward ;  and  the  ministers  and  Churches  which 
show  a  deep  sympathy  for  sorrow  and  wretchedness 
always  powerfully  impress  the  communities  around 
them.  Whoever  has  read  the  life  of  Pastor  Oberlin, 
of  Switzerland,  will  have  a  striking  example  of  this. 
In  this  activity  the  Roman  Catholic  Churches  gen- 
erally excel  the  Protestants.  Their  various  orders 
of  women,  such  as  Sisters  of  Charity  and  Sisters  of 
Mercy,  give  them  great  facilities  in  organizing  and 
sustaining  hospitals  and  orphanages.  These  wom- 
t  en,  by  their  plain  garb,  by  their  apparent  renuncia- 
tion of  the  world,  and  by  their  devotion  to  benevo 
lent  work,  impress  the  public  mind  beyond  the  pale 
of  their  own  Church  much  more  powerfully  than  do 
all  their  ministers  combined.  Protestantism  has  the 
ability  to  perform  a  similar  work  just  as  efficiently, 
and  without  the  evils  connected  with  those  orders  ; 
1  ut  it  requires  constant  activity  and  associated  effort 


Surplus  Energy.  275 

to  produce  the  result.  Active  work  is,  also,  neces- 
sary to  give  to  each  congregation  unity  and  harmony. 
An  inefficient  congregation  is  generally  a  trouble- 
some one.  Among  unemployed  people  discord  and 
strife  are  sure  to  enter.     The  lines  of  Dr.  Watts — 

"Satan  finds  some  mischief  still 
For  idle  hands  to  do," 

are  illustrated  every-where.  There  are  men  in  every 
congregation  who  are  exceedingly  troublesome.  They 
annoy  the  minister,  and  they  annoy  the  people.  They 
have  an  immense  surplus  energy,  which  is  seeking 
for  employment,  and  which,  like  surplus  steam, 
makes  a  great  deal  of  noise  and  interruption,  while 
the  steam  which  drives  the  factory  is  scarcely  heard. 
Such  persons  need  extra  work,  and  must  have  it  to 
be  kept  quiet.  In  one  of  Dr.  Chaliners'  ragged  night- 
schools  in  Glasgow  there  was  a  boy  who  could  not  be 
controlled,  and  who  was  a  constant  interruption  to 
the  school.  After  bearing  long  with  him,  and  mak- 
ing many  fruitless  efforts,  it  was  resolved  to  expel 
him.  The  superintendent  of  the  school,  however, 
seeing  elements  of  power  in  the  boy,  pleaded  for  one 
more  trial.  It  was  before  the  days  of  gas,  or  even 
kerosene  lamps,  and  the  school-room  was  lighted 
with  common  candles.  These  were  placed  on  plain 
movable  stands,  such  as  were  formerly  used  by  shoe- 
makers, and  which  consisted  of  an  upright  stick  fast- 
ened into  a  square  board,  with  an  opening  at  the 
top  of  the  stick  through  which  a  leather  was  drawn, 


-f- 


276  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

by  which  the  candle  was  held.  .The  candles  needed 
frequent  snuffing,  and  the  superintendent  appointed 
this  uncontrollable  boy  general  candle-snuffer.  From 
the  moment  of  his  appointment  he  entered  on  his 
work  with  spirit,  and  became  one  of  the  best  boys  in 
the  school.  He  simply  needed  to  be  employed.  Lu- 
ther, when  a  boy,  was  so  restless  at  school  that  his 
master  sometimes  flogged  him  half  a  dozen  times  a 
day.  God  had  put  into  his  body  a  soul  of  power, 
which  quivered  all  through  him,  so  that  he  could  not 
keep  still.  God  had  made  him  to  shake  all  Europe. 
As  he  himself  saw  in  a  dream,  the  end  of  his  quill 
as  he  wrote  disturbed  the  pontiff  on  his  throne  ;  how 
could  he  keep  still  ?  Mothers  often  pride  themselves 
on  having  nice  little  boys,  that  sit  still  in  a  nursery, 
and  make  no  noise.  Such  boys  will  sit  still  all  their 
lives,  and  will  accomplish  but  little  for  their  friends 
or  the  world.  Give  me  the  boy  that  cannot  keep 
still ;  that  upsets  chairs,  and  throws  every  thing  into 
confusion  in  the  nursery  ;  that  at  school  can  scarcely 
keep  his  elbows  out  of  the  sides  of  his  associates  ; 
that  is  always  an  annoyance  because  of  his  readiness 
for  adventure  ;  and  I  will  show  you  one  who  has  in 
him  the  elements  of  great  good  if  this  can  be  properly 
employed.  No  matter  how  much  steam  there  is  in 
the  locomotive,  if  it  is  kept  on  the  track  and  has  a 
heavy  enough  load  to  draw  ;  but  let  it  have  no  load, 
and  get  off  the  track,  and  the  ruin  will  be  terrible. 
So  it  is  in  our  congregations.     These   men  with  sur- 


Organizatioji  of  Society.  277 

plus  energy  will  do  mischief  unless   they  are  loaded 
down  with  work. 

The  successful  minister  must,  also,  study  the  organ- 
ization of  society.  In  rural  districts  there  is  compar- 
atively little  organism.  The  freedom  and  independ 
ence  of  an  agricultural  life  produces  a  spirit  of  indi- 
viduality. Each  family  relies  upon  its  own  efforts  ; 
draws  from  the  earth  its  own  support  ;  and  asks  but 
few  favors  from  its  neighbors.  But  as  soon  as  man- 
ufactories are  established — as  soon  as  towns  and 
cities  appear — organized  society  largely  controls  in- 
dividual effort ;  the  employer  exercises  a  constant 
influence  over  the  employe ;  and  the  tendency  of 
civilization  is  to  increase  associated,  and  to  diminish 
individual,  power :  the  few  control,  the  many  obey. 
Such  is  society  in  Oriental  lands  that  are  densely 
populated.  Such  was  society  early  in  southern  Eu- 
rope, while  the  Germanic  nations  cultivated  individuul 
freedom.  The  line  of  the  Reformation  marks  the 
boundaries  between  society  which  receives  its  opin- 
ions from  others  and  that  which  claims  and  exercises 
the  right  of  private  judgment.  The  increase  of  civil- 
ization always  tends  in  this  direction.  The  counter- 
balancing power  is  to  be  found  in  the  education  of 
the  masses,  and  in  their  clear  conceptions  of  their 
just  rights.  Vast  corporations  are  established,  where 
men  are  bound  together,  not  only  by  ties  of  friend- 
ship, but,  also,  by  ties  of  employment  and  interest. 
These  form   a  kind    of  private  society  approaching 


2/8  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

toward  caste.  Thus  a  kindred  spirit  exists  among 
railroad  men  ;  their  interests  are  mutual,  ahnost 
identical  ;  and  large  brotherhoods  are  formed,  as 
among  engineers,  where  the  right  of  the  individual, 
as  to  work  or  wages,  is  limited  by  the  will  of  the  so- 
ciety. Similar  associations  spring  up  among  every 
ciass  of  mechanics  ;  and  latterly  the  men  who  live  by 
the  day's  work  in  the  simplest  and  most  laborious  oc- 
cupations are,  also,  organized  ;  and  strikes  in  the  mines, 
in  manufactories,  on  railroads,  and  on  the  wharves  of 
cities,  illustrate  the  strength  and  closeness  of  these 
ties.  The  pulpit  deals  with  individuals,  not  with 
organizations.  Its  truth  comes  to  every  individ- 
ual heart,  and  every  man  acts  on  his  personal  re- 
sponsibility before  God.  Yet  the  individual  thus 
addressed  is  influenced  by  these  associations,  which 
may  either  help  or  retard  the  power  of  the  pulpit.  If 
the  tone  and  influence  of  the  association  is  hostile  to 
the  Church,  the  individual  is  either  influenced  to  ab- 
sent himself  from  the  services,  or  to  receive  them 
with  a  prejudiced  heart.  But  if  the  feeling  of  the  asso- 
ciation is  friendly  to  the  Church,  then  the  individual 
is  influenced  to  attend  the  services,  and  to  lor^k  with 
favor  on  its  ministrations.  In  this  view  an  almo&t 
boundless  field  opens  before  the  preacher.  He  must 
study  the  various  interests  and  ramifications  of  these 
organizations,  and  must  so  manage  his  own  conduct 
and  so  plan  his  services  as  to  be  most  effective  in 
gaining  control  over  the  different  parts  of  the  com- 


Study  Organizatio7is.  279 

munity.  Societies,  in  this  respect,  are  like  a  stick  of 
timber,  which  must  be  spHt  according  to  the  grain  ; 
and  the  skillful  woodsman  will  separate  his  timbers  in 
a  few  moments,  while  the  unskilled  will  expend  much 
strength  in  vain.  Who  does  not  know  the  power  of 
the  president  of  a  bank  over  all  its  subordinates  ?  I 
have  not  unfrequently  entered  a  bank  and  asked 
some  question  of  one  of  the  clerks  without  being 
able  to  obtain  a  civil  answer.  But  if  I  asked  for  the 
president,  and  he  received  me  cordially,  walked 
with  me  to  the  door,  and  invited  me  to  call  again, 
the  next  time  I  entered  every  employe  was  not  only 
civil,  but  polite.  If  I  enter  a  factory,  and  the  owner 
shows  me  with  friendship  through  the  building, 
the  foreman  of  every  department  is  ready  to  give 
me  all  information  ;  but  if  I  enter  without  such  in- 
dorsement I  am  regarded  as  an  intruder  and  unwor- 
thy of  notice.  These  are  but  illustrations  of  the 
power  of  organization. 

I  ask  your  attention  to  these  particular  features, 
because,  at  this  day,  the  masses  of  the  people,  as 
never  before,  are  arranged  in  various  organizations. 
They  meet  in  their  separate  club-rooms  ;  they  are  ad- 
dressed by  designing  men  ;  and  too  frequently  an 
effort  is  made  to  array  them  against  the  Churches  and 
against  the  ministry,  that  they  may  be  better  pre- 
pared for  acts  of  lawlessness  or  violence.  The  com- 
munism and  internationalism  of  Europe  are  arrayed 
against  the  Churches,  because  there  the  Church  is 


28o  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

identified  with  the  civil  power.  They  regard  the 
Church  and  the  State  as  one,  and  the  ministers  as 
inseparably  joined  with  those  whom  they  regard  as 
their  oppressors.  This  feeling  is  one  of  the  evils 
which  arise  from  the  union  of  Church  and  State, 
and  I  am  not  sure  that  God  may  not  use  it  to  destroy 
that  unhallowed  connection.  In  this  country  there  is 
no  such  union,  and  there  ought  not  to  be  any  such  as- 
sociation of  thought  or  feeling.  Yet  the  foreigners — 
and  among  us  the  communists  are  nearly  all  foreign- 
ers— bring  their  feelings  with  them.  It  must,  also, 
be  considered  that,  as  the  minister  ever  inculcates 
the  principles  of  peace  and  submission  to  lawful  au- 
thority, those  who  contemplate  ultimate  violence,  or 
attacks  upon  the  order  of  society,  desire  to  destroy 
the  influence  of  the  ministry  over  society.  Hence, 
the  atheistic  orator  on  the  platform,  and  the  proposer 
of  violence  on  the  sand-lots  in  San  Francisco,  work  in 
perfect  harmony.  Their  aim  is  one  and  the  same, 
and  that  is  to  destroy  the  strongest  influence  which 
supports  peace  and  order  in  the  State,  in  the  family, 
and  among  individuals.  Christian  people  must  seek 
some  method  by  which  they  can  better  reach  the 
hearts  of  these  people,  and  antagonize  the  machina- 
tions of  those  who  are  plotting  evil. 

The  limits  of  a  lecture  will  not  permit  me  to  dis- 
cuss the  method  by  which  these  organizations,  or 
sections  of  society,  may  be  reached.  Their  structure 
must  be  studied  ;    their  influential  men  considered  ; 


Personal  Efforts.  281 

the  influence  of  society  which  may  counterpoise  such 
men  must,  also,  be  considered  ;  and  then  the  minister 
will  be  prepared  to  throw  his  influence  in  such  a  way 
as  may  give  him  power  over  the  hearts  of  the  masses. 
I  must  allude,  however,  to  what  I  think  is  the 
greatest  barrier.  Thus  far,  in  this  country,  the  diffi- 
culty does  not  exist  in  great  opposition  to  the 
Church,  but  in  a  growing  negligence  of  its  ministra- 
tion, arising  from  increased  interest  in  and  attention 
to  these  separate  organizations.  These  associations 
controlling  work  and  wages  become  of  absorbing  in- 
terest to  the  workmen.  They  contribute  to  the 
general  funds  a  large  part  of  their  surplus  earnings, 
and  attend  so  many  private  meetings  that  they  have 
little  time  or  means  to  give  the  Churches,  and  are 
thus,  almost  unconsciously  to  themselves,  led  farther 
and  farther  away,  and  are  in  danger  of  being  in- 
fluenced by  infidel  or  communistic  ideas.  I  know  no 
remedy  but  in  the  power  of  the  Gospel  most  ear- 
nestly preached,  with  such  zeal  and  moral  power  as 
shall  tend  to  draw  the  people  to  the  services,  and 
then  the  more  perfect  identification  of  the  minister 
with  the  people  among  whom  he  resides.  Especially 
let  him  endeavor,  both  personally  and  by  the  aid  of 
his  people,  to  draw  the  children  to  the  Sabbath-school, 
and  to  instill  into  their  youthful  hearts  such  thoughts 
and  principles  as  lead  them  into  harmony  with  the 
Church,  and  shall  bring  them  early  to  the  Saviour. 
Let  him   interest   himself  in    the  education  of  the 


282  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

children,  and  in  procuring  proper  situations  for  the 
neglected  and  destitute  of  these  youth. 

Let  him,  also,  inquire  into  their  wants  and  necessi- 
ties ;  let  them  feel  that  he  sympathizes  with  them  in 
their  labor  and  sorrow  ;  let  him  approve  their  efforts, 
so  far  as  is  proper,  to  gain  a  better  livelihood  ;  then 
shall  he  have  influence  and  power  to  caution  them 
against  prevailing  errors,  and  against  being  governed 
by  associations  which  lead  to  strife  and  violence. 
His  membership,  thus  instructed,  may  become  salt  to 
save  the  mass  in  which  they  mingle,  and  may  prevent 
the  associations  from  doing  the  mischief  which  de- 
signing men  intend. 

Among  collateral  methods  of  usefulness  the  plat- 
form is  one  of  the  most  efficient.  The  minister  will 
frequently  be  called  upon  to  join  in  efforts  in  behalf 
of  benevolent  movements.  He  will  be  requested  to 
address  audiences  as  to  great  social  interests  affect- 
ing the  community  in  which  he  resides.  These  asso- 
ciations extend  beyond  the  limits  of  any  one  Church 
or  of  any  one  denomination  ;  yet  they  perform  a 
work  which  is  beneficial  to  all ;  and  to  them  the 
minister  should  be  ready  to  contribute  his  influence. 
Such,  for  instance,  is  the  Bible  Societ)^  in  which 
every  Christian  should  have  a  deep  and  abiding  in- 
terest. Whatever  may  be  his  theological  views,  he 
sincerely  believes  they  are  found  in  the  word  of  God, 
and  that  the  diffusion  of  that  word — its  being  in  every 
family  and  in  every  hand    -would   promote  the  gen- 


Tcnjperauce  Societies.  283 

eral  benefit.  The  Bible  Society,  in  its  benevolent 
purpose  to  give  the  word  of  God  vvithout  note  or 
comment,  to  every  individual,  presents  the  purest  be- 
nevolence and  the  highest  catholicity  of  spirit.  As- 
sociations for  the  promotion  of  temperance,  also, 
claim  the  minister's  attention.  These  associations, 
always  good  in  their  aim,  are  sometimes  so  conducted 
as  to  be  productive  of  evil.  If  the  ministry  and  re- 
ligious people  stand  aloof,  they  will  fall  iato  the 
hands  of  men  who  will  abuse  the  pulpit,  and  really 
prevent  the  permanent  reform  of  those  they  are  try- 
ing to  save.  These  temperance  movements  are  like 
John  the  Baptist,  the  forerunner  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Experience  proves  that  unless  the  re- 
formed men  are  converted,  and  brought  into  the  fel- 
lowship and  under  the  influence  of  the  Church,  the 
temperance  excitement  soon  passes  away,  and  they 
become  worse  than  before.  The  only  safety  for  the 
intemperate  man  is  in  the  divine  power  which  is 
promised  in  the  Gospel.  So,  also,  especially  in  cities, 
associations  are  organized  to  save  the  fallen  and  the 
outcasts,  to  guard  against  cruelty  to  little  children, 
and  even  to  dumb  animals,  to  found  orphanages,  to 
provide  homes  for  the  aged  who  are  friendless  and 
destitute,  and  to  furnish  education  to  the  deaf  and 
dumb,  the  blind  and  the  imbecile,  to  aid  the  poor, 
and  to  support  hospitals.  All  these  plans  afford  a 
common  ground  of  Christian  work  ;  they  are  the 
glory  of  Christianity,  in   that  they  stoop  to  save  the 


284  Lfxtures  on  Preaching. 

lowest  of  the  low  and  the  vilest  of  the  vile,  as  well  as 
to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  the  wretched  and  forlorn 
of  every  class.  To  aid  in "  labors  of  this  nature 
is  fitting  for  the  minister,  for  he  is  not  merely  the 
pastor  of  the  Church,  but  a  preacher  sent  from  God 
to  save  and  bless  mankind.  By  these  efforts,  also,  he 
will  extend  his  influence  beyond  the  sphere  of  his 
own  congregations.  The  friends  of  these  various 
reforms  will  love  the  minister  who  has  plead  their 
cause  earnestly  and  successfully  before  the  people, 
and  not  unfrequently  they  will  be  led  to  attend  his 
ministrations. 

He  will  be  invited,  however,  to  take  part  in  serv- 
ices where  he  may  not  wisely  go.  Meetings  may  be 
held  under  some  specious  form,  really  designed  to  ad- 
vance the  political  interests  of  some  individual,  or  to 
denounce  the  political  conduct  of  some  rival.  While 
the  minister  should  feel  a  deep  interest  in  every  thing 
which  affects  the  interests  of  his  country,  and  while 
as  a  free  man  he  has  the  unquestionable  right  to  ex- 
ercise the  privileges  of  a  citizen  at  the  ballot,  he 
should  be  careful,  as  a  minister,  not  to  take  part  in 
political  meetings  called  for  the  purpose  merely  of 
promoting  the  interests  of  a  party  or  of  advocating 
the  election  of  particular  men.  He  should  discrimi- 
nate clearly  between  his  privileges  as  a  citizen,  and 
the  exercise  of  that  influence  which  comes  to  him 
from  the  fact  that  he  is  ministering  to  the  people  in 
holy  things. 


Ministerial  ExcJiangcs.  285 

The  preacher  will  occasionally  exchange  pulpits 
with  his  brethren  of  his  own  denomination,  and  in 
these  da)'s  of  Christian  courtesy  he  will,  also,  exchange 
with  those  of  different  denominations.  The  exclu- 
siveness  of  spirit  which  once  prevailed  has,  in  great 
measure,  happily  passed  away.  While  there  may  be 
a  few  Protestant  congregations  which  fancy  them- 
selves to  be  the  true  Church  of  Christ,  which  arrogate 
for  themselves  the  special  favor  of  heaven,  and  close 
the  doors  of  their  pulpits  against  ministers  of  other 
Churches,  handing  us  all  over  to  the  uncovenanted 
mercies  of  God,  yet  the  great  active  branches 
of  the  Church  are  moving  steadily  forward  to  a 
broader  platform  and  to  a  closer  unity.  The  exclu- 
sive Churches,  though  strong  and  powerful  in  some 
localities,  and  striving,  as  they  naturally  do,  to  control 
the  socialinfluences  of  the  country,  yet,  as  compared 
with  the  liberal  branches,  do  not  relatively  advance 
with  much  rapidity.  In  the  pulpit  exchanges  which 
are  thus  made  preachers  should  be  exceedingly 
careful  not  to  violate  the  rules  of  Christian  courtesy 
in  their  selection  of  subjects ;  they  should  strictly 
avoid  controversial  topics,  and  especially  those  points 
on  which  they  may  personally  differ  from  the  creed 
of  the  congregation  which  they  address.  The  broad 
fundamental  truths  of  Christianity  are  common  to  all 
evangelical  Christians.  The  points  upon  which  we 
differ  are  comparatively  few.  As  the  salvation  of  the 
soul  does   not  depend  upon  the  philosophical  views 


286  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

which  may  be  entertained,  or  upon  the  logical  results 
which  may  seem  to  flow  from  them,  the  true  preacher 
can  find  abundance  of  matter  which  is  held  in  com- 
mon, and  on  which  he  can  address  the  congregation. 
Whoever  teaches  a  living  trust  in  the  atonement  of  a 
divine  Christ  as  the  only  hope  for  sinful  man,  and 
strict  obedience  to  all  that  Christ  commands,  should 
be  treated  as  one  of  the  great  brotherhood  of  Chris- 
tianity. In  this  social  intercourse  of  ministers  and 
Churches  true  courtesy  requires  a  conformity  to  the 
order  of  worship  established  in  the  different  Churches 
or  congregations.  Any  effort  at  proselytism  from 
one  branch  of  evangelical  Churches  to  another  should 
be  most  strictly  avoided.  Proselytism  is  a  species 
of  freebooting  or  piracy  which  ought  to  be  as 
strictly  condemned  among  Churches  as  among  na- 
tions. I  do  not  object  to  a  change  of  Church  rela- 
tions where  there  is  a  change  of  doctrinal  views,  or 
where  there  is  a  firm  conviction  that  under  another 
form  of  Church  polity  the  individual  may  receive 
greater  spiritual  profit  to  himself  and  his  family, 
or  may  be  able  to  do  more  good  to  a  larger  number 
of  his  fellow  beings.  Such  instances  not  unfrequently 
occur  ;  and  individuals  so  changing  should  be  kindly 
dismissed  from  their  several  Churches,  with  the 
prayer  that  the  blessing  of  God  may  go  with  them. 
But  when  a  Christian  minister  endeavors  to  draw 
away  members  from  another  communion,  for  the  sake 
of  enlarging  and  strengthening  his  own,  he  is  not  only 


Proselytism.  287 

violating  the  laws  of  Christian  courtesy,  but  the  prin- 
ciples of  common  honesty.  "  Thou  shalt  not  covet " 
is  a  law  as  applicable  to  men  as  to  property.  No 
minister  should  seek  to  enfeeble  one  Church  to  build 
up  another.  Nor  is  it  honorable  to  intimate  that  his 
Church  is  so  much  more  genteel,  has  so  much  better 
society,  has  men  of  business  who  can  patronize  and 
help  young  men,  and  that  it  holds  the  key  to  the 
door  of  select  society,  and,  therefore,  families  should 
leave  their  own  communion  and  enter  his.  If,  under 
such  influences,  people  are  led  from  one  Church  to 
another,  they  are  induced  to  make  merchandise  of 
the  Gospel, and  the  spirit  of  a  pure  and  earnest  Chris- 
tianity is  defiled.  Such  an  effort  must  prevent  full 
co-operation  between  Christian  Churches  ;  for  that 
co-operation  can  only  be  maintained  where  each 
Church  is  faithful  to  common  courtesy.  Nor  is  there 
need  for  such  effort,  for  there  are  vast  masses  lying 
beyond  the  influence  of  any  Churches;  there  is  much 
ground  yet  to  be  occupied,  and  many  families  are 
going  to  ruin.  You  are  builders,  young  gentlemen  ;U^ 
let  it  be  your  aim  to  go  out  into  the  forest  and  cut 
down  tall  trees,  hew  them,  square  them,  put  them  into 
your  building,  and  raise  a  beautiful  edifice  to  the 
glory  of  the  great  Head  of  the  Church  ;  but  never 
descend  so  low  as  to  steal  squared  timber  from  oth- 
ers to  build  your  own. 

Closely  connected  with  this  subject  is  the  change 
of    ministers    from    one    denomination    to    another. 


288  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

Where  these  denominations  do  not  differ  in  doctrine, 
but  are  simply  separated  on  questions  of  Church 
economy,  which  are  of  little  moment,  there  can  be 
no  impropriety  in  a  minister  passing  from  one  de- 
nomination to  another,  when  circumstances  seem  to 
justify  it.  He  preaches  the  same  doctrine,  and  is 
identified  with  the  same  general  usages.  But  where 
the  Churches  differ  in  doctrine  such  changes  less 
frequently  occur.  They  are,  nevertheless,  highly 
proper,  when  the  minister  is  led  to  change  his  doc- 
trinal views.  If  he  becomes  satisfied  that  he  has 
been  in  error,  and  can  no  longer  conscientiously 
preach  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  which  has  or- 
dained him,  and  which  supports  him  for  the  purpose 
of  preaching  doctrines  which  they  believe  are  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  teachings  of  Christ,  then  his  duty, 
not  only  as  a  Christian,  but  as  a  man  of  honor,  is  to 
resign  his  pulpit  and  to  retire  from  the  ministry  of 
the  Church  whose  doctrines  he  does  not  believe.  I 
have  never  been  able  to  understand  how  an  honest 
man  can  wish  to  remain  in  the  pulpit  of  a  Church 
whose  doctrines  he  cannot  preach. 

Such  a  man,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  has  either  great 
obtuseness  of  intellect,  or  great  lack  of  moral  prin- 
ciple. There  are  denominations  around  him  with 
some  of  whom  he  could  affiliate,  and  into  whose  pul- 
pits he  would  be  readily  welcomed.  All  the  world  is 
before  him  for  his  selection,  or,  as  a  Mohammedan 
once  acU'ised  a  dissatisfied  teacher,  he  can  set  up  a 


Selfish  Clianges.  289 

ladder  and  climb  to  heaven  alone.  But  there  are 
changes  occasionally  made,  as  I  believe,  beyond  the 
bounds  of  propriety.  A  minister  sometimes  leaves 
the  communion  in  which  he  was  converted  and  or- 
dained, and  joins  another  whose  doctrines  are 
greatly  different,  at  the  same  time  averring  that  he 
has  not  changed  his  doctrinal  opinions,  and  that  he 
believes  and  expects  to  preach  the  doctrines  which 
he  has  heretofore  held,  and  that  his  reasons  for  the 
change  are  simply  those  of  personal  convenience  and 
comfort.  Such  changes  I  believe  to  be  wrong  in 
principle  and  disastrous  in  results.  The  minister 
occupies  a  false  position  both  to  himself  and  to  his 
hearers.  He  is  supposed  by  the  public  to  represent 
doctrines  which  he  does  not  believe.  He  cannot 
preach  freely,  on  points  of  doctrinal  difference,  his 
own  particular  views  without  doing  violence  to  the 
views  of  the  Church  which  he  enters.  He  suffers 
restaint,  he  compromises  truth  for  comfort,  the  mes- 
sage of  God  for  personal  convenience,  and  diminishes 
his  own  self-respect  and  his  spiritual  power.  He  in- 
jures the  congregation  which  he  addresses,  for  he 
unsettles  them  in  their  views,  brings  among  them  a 
diversity  of  feeling,  and  sooner  or  later  strife  and 
discord  will  arise,  and  the  Church  will  not  be  a  united, 
homogeneous  and  vigorous  body  in  its  aggressive 
movements.  The  church  may  be  for  the  time  crowd- 
ed  to  hear  a  man  of  talent  and  energy  ;  its  external 

circumstances   may  seem  to  flourish  ;   but  the  heart 
19 


290  Lf.ctur?:s  on  Preaching. 

grows  feeble,  the  vital  power  deeays,  and,  at  the  end, 
discord,  strife,  and  disintegration  inevitably  follow. 
The  only  exception  is  where,  after  his  change  of 
Church  fellowship,  the  minister  actually,  from  his 
judgment  and  heart,  changes  his  doctrinal  views, 
and  can  conscientiously  preach  in  harmony  with  the 
views  of  the  Church  wherein  he  ministers.  But  the 
worst  impression  is  made  upon  the  world,  which  calls 
in  question  the  honesty  of  ministers,  and  from  such 
examples  believes  that  they  all  hold  their  principles  in 
the  market,  and  are  ready  to  sell  to  such  as  will  give 
them  the  best  pay  and  the  most  comfort.  The  in- 
jury thus  done  to  the  character  of  the  ministry,  in 
the  loss  of  public  respect  for  their  conscientious  con- 
victions, outbalances,  as  I  believe,  all  the  good  which 
such  men  can  perform.  The  Churches  and  the  minis- 
ters participating  in  such  transactions,  though  they 
mean  it  not,  are  weakening  the  power  of  the  Church 
over  the  public  conscience  more  than  the  efforts  of 
its  strongest  enemies. 

The  employment  of  evangelists  to  assist  the  regu- 
lar preacher  in  his  labors  requires  great  caution. 
Evangelists  are  frequently  of  service,  going,  as  they 
do,  with  fresh  thoughts,  and  sometimes  with  strong 
faith  acquired  in  scenes  of  conquest.  They  are  able 
to  say  with  boldness  what  the  minister  would  utter 
with  more  delicacy.  But  the  pastor  should  never 
give  the  control  of  the  meeting  to  any  evangelist  or 
to  any  assisting  preacher.     If  he  does  not  hold  the 


Evangelistic  Efforts.  291 

control  over  his  own  meetings  and  keep  his  congre- 
gation in  hand,  the  interest  of  the  meeting  will  cease 
when  the  evangeUst  passes  away.  The  persons  who 
are  drilled  and  exercised  under  a  foreign  influence 
will  not  be  fused  into  the  mass  of  the  congregation  ; 
the)'  will  be  comparing  the  methods  of  the  evangelist 
with  the  methods  of  the  pastor,  and  will  complain  of 
him  because  the  interest  or  excitement  does  not  con- 
tinue. I  have  known  a  number  of  places  where  the 
visits  of  evangelists  have  resulted  in  the  apparent 
awakening  and  conversion  of  great  numbers  ;  and 
yet  in  three  or  six  months  the  Church  has  been 
in  a  worse  condition  than  it  was  before  the  visit. 
Contention  and  strife  have  been  substituted  for  har- 
mony, and  the  benefits  of  the  revival  have  been  lost 
amid  the  discords  and  disturbances  which  have 
arisen.  Better  have  no  evangelist,  however  exciting, 
no  brother  pastor,  however  talented,  who  will  not 
kindly  co-operate  with  you,  and  move  in  consultation 
and  in  harmony  with  you. 

Usually,  however,  the  minister  will  need  help  in 
his  protracted  or  special  evangelistic  efforts.  His 
chief  aim  should  be  to  make  all  his  services  so  in- 
structive, so  spirited,  and  so  earnest,  that  the  Loid 
shall  add  daily  to  his  congregation  such  as  shall  be 
saved.  Yet,  under  special  circumstances,  he  will 
find  that  such  a  general  seriousness  pervades  his  au- 
diences, and  such  deep  impressions  are  made,  as  will 
not  only  justify,  but  imperiously  demand,  the  estab- 


292  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

lishment  of  special  services.  At  such  seasons  hearts 
bow  more  easily,  as  other  hearts  are  bowed,  and  mul- 
titudes crowd  to  the  services  to  see  and  to  hear,  be- 
cause their  friends  or  acquaintances  are  deeply  inter- 
ested. The  minister  should  avail  himself  of  all  the 
laws  of  mind  which  bind  men  together,  and  which 
should  lead  to  virtue  and  holiness,  as  they  too  fre- 
quently do  to  vice  and  degradation.  Let  him,  then, 
get  the  utmost  help  he  possibly  can  from  his  own 
membership,  for  the  work  will  do  them  good,  and 
they  will  be  an  abiding  power  ;  but  let  him,  also,  pro- 
cure additional  aid,  either  from  his  neighboring  pas- 
tors, or  from  evangelists,  as  he  may  deem  best,  ever, 
however,  retaining  the  management  and  control  of 
the  services. 

There  are  matters  which  are  not  strictly  ministe- 
rial, and  which  yet  devolve  in  many  places  upon  the 
preacher.  A  new  church  edifice  is  needed,  but  it 
will  not  be  erected  unless  the  minister  procures  sub- 
scriptions ;  and  in  many  places  it  will  not  be  properly 
planned  or  built  without  his  supervision.  He  will 
sometimes  find  a  congregation  severely  embarrassed 
with  debt,  vvhich  disheartens  his  people  and  prevents 
benevolent  and  aggressive  movement.  He  finds  it 
necessary  to  devote  much  of  his  time  to  securing 
means  to  liquidate  the  debt,  that  he  may  thereafter  be 
unembarrassed  in  the  pulpit.  These  things  ought  not 
so  to  be.  After  the  apostolic  example,  the  Churches 
should  select  men  to  attend  to  all  financial  matters, 


ChinxJi  Officers.  293 

that  the  minister  may  give  himself  wholly  to  the 
word  of  God  and  prayer.  Yet,  in  many  sectiqps  of 
the  country,  especially  in  new  organizations,  very 
little  can  be  done  without  the  active  exertions  of  the 
minister.  In  these  enterprises  he  needs  great  dis- 
cretion and  great  energy.  As  a  leader,  he  must 
inspire  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact  with 
courage  and  hopefulness,  and  by  his  personal  in- 
fluence must  excite  his  congregation  to  a  proper 
emulation  in  raising  the  necessary  means.  At  the 
same  time  he  must  remember  that  these  matters  are 
secondary;  that  though  he  may  find  it  necessary  to 
work  on  the  scaffolding,  it  is  only  that  he  may  more 
successfully  build  materials  into  the  grand  spiritual 
temple. 

He  will  need  great  wisdom  and  tact  in  his  inter- 
course and  councils  with  his  Church  officers,  whether 
they  be  called  elders,  deacons,  trustees,  vestrymen, 
class-leaders,  or  stewards.  They  are  the  assistants 
of  the  pastors  in  the  various  departments  of  Church 
enterprise.  They  are  generally  devout  and  thought- 
ful men  ;  yet,  not  unfrequently,  they  have  marked 
peculiarities  or  eccentricities.  They  had  the  control 
of  the  Church  before  the  present  minister  came  ; 
they  expect  to  hold  it  should  he  retire.  There  are  a 
few  ministers  who  have  such  power  over  their  con- 
gregations that  they  rule  and  control  their  Church 
officers  with  a  rod  of  iron  ;  but  there  are  few  such 
men.     Men  who  have  built  large  congregations,  and 


294  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

who  are  essential  to  the  success  of  the  enterprise, 
can  ^thus  govern.  But  the  ordinary  minister  can 
only  succeed  by  kind  and  careful  co-operation  with 
his  various  officers.  Occasionally  some  of  these  are 
so  peculiar  and  obstinate  that  it  is  dangerous  to  an- 
tagonize them.  I  heard  Mr.  Spurgeon  once  say  that 
there  was  one  difference  between  deacons  and  the 
devil.  The  Scriptui'e  says  :  "  Resist  the  devil,  and 
he  will  flee  from  you."  But,  said  he,  "  Resist  the 
deacons,  and  they  will  fly  at  you." 

The  Church  has  laid  upon  it,  by  its  great  Head, 
the  duty  of  evangelizing  the  world.  Each  congrega- 
tion should  do  something  for  this  cause,  and  the 
minister  should  be  deeply  interested  in  this  work.  A 
part  of  this  work  may  be  performed  near  his  own  lo- 
cality, by  establishing  cottage  prayer-meetings,  mis- 
sion Sabbath-schools,  and  occasional  preaching.  But 
the  work  of  the  Church  requires  not  only  preaching, 
but  sending  out  others  to  preach.  The  Church  is  to 
plead  with  its  Lord  and  Master  to  thrust  out  laborers 
into  the  harvest,  and  the  Church  should  endeavor  to 
aid  those  who  are  so  raised  up  and  thrust  out.  The 
minister  should  so  preach  to  himself  and  to  his  con- 
gregation that  both  he  and  they,  according  to  their 
means,  should  be  liberal  contributors  to  this  great 
work.  For  this  purpose  he  should  be  well  acquaint- 
ed, first,  with  the  missionary  movements  of  his  own 
denomination,  the  fields  which  they  occupy,  and  the 
special  objects  to  which  the  funds   collected  will  be 


Missionary  Work.  295 

in  great  measure  applied.  But  for  the  sake  of  in- 
spiring his  congregation  with  broader  views  and  with 
greater  confidence  in  the  approaching  triumph  of  the 
Gospel,  he  should  also  be  acquainted  with  the  move- 
ments of  all  the  Churches,  and  be  able  to  present 
such  a  connected  view  of  the  whole  missionary  field, 
and  of  the  movements  makmg  toward  the  occupancy 
of  the  whole  world,  as  shall  give  confidence  in  ulti- 
mate success,  and  as  shall  inspire  his  people  to  be- 
come active  co-workers  with  Christ.  I  believe  the 
missionary  cause,  properly  presented,  moi'e  than  any 
other,  meets  and  subjugates  the  selfishness  and  local 
feelings  of  men.  I  believe,  further,  that  to  its  influ- 
ence we  owe,  in  great  measure,  the  large  contribu- 
tions which  are  made  to-day  to  the  erection  of  church- 
es and  to  the  endowment  of  literary  institutions.  It 
is  true,  these  are  not  missionary  in  their  character  ; 
but  the  missionary  idea,  in  its  immense  grandeur,  so 
fills  the  heart  and  enlarges  its  sympathy,  and  so 
counteiacts  the  selfishness  of  every  bosom,  that  it 
leads  to  grand  and  noble  giving.  In  almost  every  in- 
stance the  liberal  benefactors  of  institutions  have  had 
their  hearts  touched  and  opened  by  this  missionary 
spirit. 

Other  benevolent  efforts  will  frequently  demand 
his  attention  under  the  general  recommendation  of 
the  Church  or  denomination  to  which  he  belongs. 
To  these  let  him  ever  give  due  consideration,  without 
fearing  lest  they  shall  endanger  his  support. 


296  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

The  minister  who  most  fully  identifies  himself  with 
every  good  cause,  and  who  most  fully  performs  all 
the  work  properly  devolving  upon  him,  will  not  only 
maintain  a  conscience  void  of  offense,  and  enjoy  the 
favor  of  God,  but  will,  also,  best  secure  the  favor  of 
his  congregation  and  the  approbation  of  the  public. 
Such  a  man  magnifies  his  ministry,  blesses  his  age, 
and  honors  God. 


The  Pulpit  and  the  Press.  297 


LECTURE    X. 

IS  THE  MODERN  PULPIT  A  FAILURE? 

T  T  has  become  fashionable  in  certain  circles  to 
-*-  speak  of  the  failure  of  the  pulpit.  It  is  repre- 
sented as  belonging  chiefly  to  a  past  age,  and  it  is 
declared  that  its  power  over  men  is  passing  away. 
Some  of  the  writers  for  the  daily  press  and  some  of 
the  contributors  to  the  literary  reviews  claim  for 
themselves  the  distinguished  honor  of  controlling 
the  public  mind.  They  speak  of  the  power  of  the 
press,  the  number  of  readers  whom  they  reach  by 
their  pen,  and  the  immense  influence  which  they  ex- 
ert in  public  affairs.  In  their  glorification  of  the 
press  they  look  upon  the  pulpit  as  a  diminishing 
quantity — as  an  agency  once  potent,  but  which  is 
now  almost  superseded.  A  few  scientists,  also — men 
of  intellectual  power  and  extensive  learning,  but  of 
skeptical  views — have  wrought  themselves  into  the 
belief  that  their  discoveries  in  science  have  invali- 
dated the  authority  of  the  holy  Scriptures.  They 
assail  the  pulpit,  not  so  much  on  account  of  the  char- 
acter of  its  agency,  as  because  they  fancy  the  matter 
of  preaching  is  becoming  obsolete.  They  extol  the 
triumphs  of  science,  and  call  in  question  the  possi- 


29<S  Lectures  ox  Preaching. 

bility  of  a  revelation  from  God,  and  occasionally 
the  very  existence  of  a  divine  being.  I  do  not  desire 
to  underrate  the  value  of  the  press  ;  it  is  one  of  the 
most  powerful  agencies,  as  it  is,  also,  the  offspring, 
of  a  Christian  civilization.  It  has  its  place — a  con- 
spicuous place — in  diffusing  intelligence  and  in  guid- 
ing the  movements  of  society. 

There  should  be  no  rivalry,  much  less  should  there 
be  enmity,  between  the  press  and  the  pulpit.  Each 
has  its  appropriate  sphere,  and  the  exaltation  of  the 
one  does  not  diminish  the  glory  of  the  other.  Nor 
should  there  be  any  conflict  between  the  pulpit  and 
men  of  true  science.  Their  spheres  are  widely  dif- 
ferent :  the  scientist  is  engaged  in  tracing  the  laws 
of  matter  and  ascertaining  the  properties  with  which 
God  has  invested  it  ;  the  preacher  is  engaged  in  pro- 
claitiiing  God's  mercy  and  love  as  revealed  tc  fallen 
man,  and  the  precious  promises  which  he  has  given 
of  pardon  for  sin,  of  purification  of  heart,  and  of  a 
gloricus  immortality.  A  few  of  those  who  occupy 
the  pulpit  very  injudiciously  assail  the  scientists,  un- 
dervaluing their  studies,  and  reproaching  them  for 
their  attachment  to  science.  Sometimes,  also,  a  few 
who  are  uncultured,  or  who  have  failed  to  keep  pace 
with  scientific  inquiries,  announce  propositions  al- 
X  most  as  absurd  as  those  of  the  colored  preacher  of 
Richmond,  who  has  recently  been  lecturing  on 
"  The  sun,  he  do  move."  On  the  other  hand,  there 
are  a  few  scientists  who    are    as    ignorant    of    the 


opposition  to  the  Pulpit.  299 

Bible  as  the  colored  lecturer  was  of  astronomy, 
and  who  make  mistakes  if  not  so  palpable  yet  quite 
as  ridiculous.  Between  such  extremists  in  the  pul- 
pit and  in  the  schools  of  science  there  is  a  con- 
flict. But  between  the  true  mmister  and  the  true 
scientist  there  should  be  none  whatever.  They  are 
engaged  in  studying  different  phases  of  truth.  They 
occupy  different  stand-points,  and  if  the  pictures 
they  present  do  not  seem  fully  to  harmonize,  it  arises 
from  the  limits  of  human  vision  and  from  tlie  im- 
perfections of  human  knowledge.  The  eye  above 
and  at  the  center  can  alone  perceive  and  compre- 
hend the  harmony  of  the  whole.  There  is  another 
class  of  thinkers  who  are  opposed  to  the  pulpit  be- 
cause it  proclaims  the  truths  of  the  Bible  ;  and  the 
Bible  is  opposed  to  them.  It  denounces  the  judg- 
ments of  God  upon  their  sinful  practices,  and  they 
hate  the  Bible  and  all  who  believe  it.  Such  men 
talk  of  the  failure  of  the  pulpit,  and  with  them  "  the 
wish  is  father  to  the  thought."  There  are  still  oth- 
ers so  absorbed  in  business  and  in  various  pursuits 
that  they  seldom  attend  a  Church  or  hear  a  sermon. 
Possibly  when  they  chanced  to  attend  they  were  not 
pleased  with  the  discourse,  and  their  dissatisfaction 
with  one  sermon  is  extended  to  all  ;  fancying  because 
they  care  nothing  for  the  pulpit  that  others  sympa- 
thize with  them,  they  also  glibly  talk  of  its  failure. 

I  do  not  know  precisely  what  these  various  classes 
mean  when  they  use   this   phrase.     Nor    am    I   sure 


300  Lectures  o\  Preacuixg. 

that  they  perfectly  understand  themselves.  A  ma- 
chine is  a  failure  when  it  cannot  perform  the  work  for 
which  it  was  designed.  But  the  ignorance,  or  inca- 
pacity, or  negligence  of  a  workman,  though  causing 
failure  on  his  part,  is  not  properly  charged  as  a  fail- 
ure of  the  mechanism.  So  the  pulpit  is  a  failure  if 
it  is  not  suited  to  perform  the  work  for  which  it  was 
instituted  ;  but  it  is  not  a  failure  simply  because 
some  of  its  preachers  may  be  unskillful  or  unwor- 
thy. There  is  a  clear  distinction  between  failures 
in  the  pulpit  and  the  failure  of  the  pulpit  itself  The 
superintendent  of  a  railroad  may  be  a  failure,  while 
the  railroad  itself  may  be  a  great  public  benefit.  A 
cook  may  be  a  failure,  but  the  kitchen  remains  an 
imperative  necessity. 

Were  I,  then,  to  admit,  as  I  readily  do,  that  some 
preachers  are  failures — were  I  to  go  further,  and  ad- 
mit that  many  are  failures — nay,  were  we  to  suppose 
that  nine  out  of  every  ten  were  failures — that  would 
not  constitute  the  pulpit  a  failure,  while  even  one  in 
ten  makes  it  a  grand  and  glorious  success. 

Is,  then,  the  institution  of  the  pulpit  a  failure,  in 
view  of  its  design  ?  It  was  ordained  to  proclaim  a 
divine  message.  That  message  is  the  word  of  God. 
Has  it  not  spread  this  message  far  and  wide  ?  No 
one  pretends  that  it  has  changed  or  mutilated  the 
divine  record.  For  eighteen  hundred  years  that  rec- 
ord, in  its  completed  form,  has  been  handed  down 
from   age    to    age.     How  many  careful  critics  have 


Errors  of  Preachers.  301 

weighed  every  word,  and  considered  every  doubtful 
reading  !  There  have  been  recensions  of  other  works, 
but  there  is  no  book  that  has  ever  received  a  tithe  of 
the  attention  which  has  been  given  to  the  Bible.  Not 
only  has  it  been  carefully  preserved  in  all  its  fullness 
and  divine  beauty,  but  it  has  been  given  to  every 
leading  language  on  the  face  of  the  globe — and  parts 
of  it  have  been  translated  into  over  two  hundred 
dialects. 

While  by  its  agency  that  message  has  been  pre- 
served and  translated,  I  frankly  admit  that  the  pulpit 
has  not  accomplished  all  that  could  be  desired.  It 
was  designed  to  reach  all  nations  and  to  influence 
all  people.  That  work  has  not  yet  been  fully  done, 
and  to  this  extent  the  Christian  pulpit  has,  as  yet, 
failed  to  perform  its  whole  duty. 

Nor  do  I  claim  for  the  pulpit  that  it  has  reached 
its  highest  perfection.  Preachers  have  all  the  frailties 
and  imperfections  of  their  race.  Too  often  they  fail 
to  accomplish  properly  their  great  work,  and  there  is 
abundant  cause  for  careful  inquiry  why  the  pulpit  is 
not  more  efficient  and  successful.  There  may  be  a 
few  men  who  make  merchandise  of  the  Gospel,  seek- 
ing only  positions  of  honor  or  emolument,  who  have 
no  set-tied  convictions,  and  who  labor  only  where 
they  can  find  the  most  comfortable  homes  and  the 
largest  salaries — whose  only  principles  are  concen- 
trated in  the  question,  "Will  it  pay.''"  Theie  may 
even  be  a  few  who  use  the  pulpit  as  a  cloak  for  sin- 


302  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

ister  purposes  and  for  vicious  practices  ;  but  of  all 
these  the  percentage  is  exceedingly  small.  It  is 
deeply  to  be  regretted  that  there  are  any  such,  for 
they  not  only  discredit  the  cause,  but  bring  suspicion 
on  their  brethren  who  have  lofty  and  noble  motives, 
and  are  of  pure  and  holy  conversation. 

One  cause  of  the  failure  of  the  pulpit  is  the  lack 
of  appreciation  which  is  shown  by  ritualists.  In  the 
"  Eighty-ninth  Tract  for  the  Times  "  the  writer  says  : 
"We  would  not  be  thought  entirely  to  depreciate 
preaching  as  the  means  of  doing  good.  It  may  be 
necessary  in  a  weak  and  languishing  state  ;  but  it  is 
an  instrument  which  Scripture,  to  say  the  least,  has 
never  recommended."  Views  like  these,  if  enter- 
tained, impair  the  estimation  in  which  preaching 
should  be  held.  As  the  natural  result,  the  sermon  is 
very  short,  and  but  little  interest  is  attached  to  it. 
The  chief  attention  is  absorbed  in  the  administration 
of  the  sacraments  and  in  the  proper  performance  of 
the  ritual  service. 

Another  reason  why  the  pulpit  is  considered  a  fail- 
ure is  the  lack  of  sympathy  between  the  preacher 
and  his  congregation.  I  have  heretofore  alluded  to 
the  fact  that  a  wall  of  partition  is  rising  between  the 
capitalist  and  the  laborer,  between  the  higher  classes 
and  the  lower  ;  and  tlie  masses  generally  identify 
the  minister  with  the  higher  class  of  society.  They 
contribute  chiefly  to  his  support,  and  have  much  in- 
fluence in   procuring   his   appointment.      His  dress, 


Causes  of  Fat  hi  re.  303 

deportment,  and  general  habits,  fit  him  for  associa- 
tion with  good  society,  and  the  masses  are  hable  to 
feel  that  he  is  not  one  of  them. 

A  few  disobey  the  apostolic  injunction,  and  do  not 
give  "attention  to  reading,  to  meditation  and  prayer." 
They  are  both  ignorant  and  indolent,  and  sometimes 
cloak  their  disinclination  to  study  under  an  assumed 
zeal  for  deep  personal  piety.  Others  are  not  men  of 
one  work.  With  them  the  ministry  is  made  a  con- 
venience, while  their  minds  and  hearts  are  intent  on 
other  things.  They  neglect  both  their  books  and 
their  flocks  in  their  devotion  to  personal  matters. 
This  causes  the  ministry  to  be  regarded  simply  as  a 
profession,  and  veneration  and  respect  for  the  pulpit 
are  diminished.  The  divine  element  disappears,  and 
they  regard  the  preacher's  teachings  and  advice  sim- 
ply as  those  of  a  physician  or  attorney.  He  is  a 
minister  simply  to  earn  a  livelihood. 

In  some  cases  that  preparation  of  heart  and  that 
culture  of  spirit  which  should  mark  those  who  are 
truly  sent  of  God  are  not  apparent.  The  minister 
appears  as  a  guest  in  the  social  circle — a  "  hail-fellow 
well  met."  He  is  engrossed  w^th  the  movements  of 
the  day  ;  outside  of  his  pulpit  he  manifests  but  little 
concern  for  the  salvation  of  the  people.  He  meets 
them  on  the  streets,  joins  them  in  social  compan\', 
attends  public  gatherings,  and  goes  v.nth  them  on  ex- 
cursions. He  is  absorbed  in  the  general  movements 
of  society,  keeps  a  close  eye   on    the  stocks,  ven- 


304  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

tures  into  speculation,  and  shows  little  concern  for  a 
perishing  world.  ■  He  visits  families,  but  makes  little 
effort  to  lead  the  young  to  the  Saviour.  He  is  pleas- 
ant with  the  profligate  and  the  gay,  without  seeming 
to  be  concerned  at  their  danger  or  interested  in  their 
future  welfare.  Such  ministers,  though  they  may 
preach  like  angels  in  the  pulpit,  are  of  but  little  serv- 
ice to  society. 

In  some  instances  the  minister  is  shorn  of  his 
power  by  adopting  an  essay-like  style  of  preaching  ; 
he  selects  a  topic,  and  discusses  it  well  ;  he  skillfully 
explains  the  subject,  but  in  an  abstract  form,  which 
is  not  addressed  to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  his 
hearers.  The  pulpit  is  not  the  place  for  essays,  how- 
ever brilliant  or  sublime.  The  minister  should  pour 
forth  truth  from  a  warm  and  sympathetic  heart,  for 
the  personal  benefit  and  edification  of  his  congrega- 
tion, and  to  touch  and  elevate  the  aspirations  of  ev- 
ery individual.  If  the  preacher  is  not  expecting  any 
present  or  immediate  results,  his  message  is  in  great 
measure  powerless.  In  some  instances,  also,  the  min- 
ister enters  the  pulpit  rather  as  a  task.  He  preaches 
because  the  Sabbath  has  come  and  he  must  find 
something  to  say.  He  has  nothing  burning  in  his 
heart  which  he  longs  to  utter — no  message  burden- 
ing his  own  spirit  until  he  has  delivered  it  to  his 
congregation.  He  simply  desires  to  preach  a  sermon 
that  shall  be  acceptable  to  his  people,  and  that  shall 
maintain  his  popularity.      In  some  cases  he  is   more 


Scientific  Sermons.  305 

concerned  to  learn  how  he  is  regarded  than  whether 
sinners  have  been  awakened  and  brought  to  Christ, 
or  whether  some  pure  spirit  has  been  receiving  more 
and  more  of  the  likeness  of  the  Saviour.  All  such 
preaching  tends  to  lower  the  standard  of  the  pulpit, 
and  to  diminish  its  power  in  public  estimation. 

Others  illustrate  chiefly  the  wisdom  and  benevo- 
lence of  God,  as  displayed  in  creation  and  providence. 
They  try  to  imitate  Dr.  Chalmers  in  his  celebrated 
sermons  on  astronomy.  Those  discourses  were  re- 
markable for  mental  ability  and  wealth  of  illustration, 
but  were  not  delivered  at  his  Sabbath  services.  They 
were  noon-day  lectures  in  the  week,  as  those  of  Mr. 
Cook  at  Boston  ;  and  multitudes  of  business  men 
turned  aside  from  their  offices  and  stores  to  listen  to 
his  eloquent  and  powerful  ministrations.  They  were 
sermons  in  every  way  worthy  of  their  author,  yet  he 
preferred  to  occupy  his  pulpit  on  the  Sabbath  with 
topics  more  essential  to  human  salvation.  Endeav- 
oring to  imitate  his  example  only  in  part,  some  young 
ministers  devote  their  efforts  to  scientific  discussions, 
give  but  little  other  food  on  the  Sabbath — and  the 
hungry  sheep  look  up  and  are  not  fed.  These  topics 
are  highly  appropriate  for  lectures.  They  instruct  and 
elevate  the  public  mind.  Allusions  to  such  subjects, 
also,  are  oftentimes  valuable  in  the  illustration  of 
scriptural  truth  ;  but  Sabbath  sermons  on  astronomy, 
geology,  botany,  or  mineralogy,  ought  never  to  turn 

away  the  attention  of  the  people  from  the  cross  of 
20 


3o6  Lfxtures  on  Preaching. 

Christ.  That  is  the  one  topic  of  supreme  importance 
and  of  enduring  power.  Besides,  too  frequently  those 
who  attempt  these  scientific  discussions  are  not  per- 
fect masters  of  their  subjects.  Others  seize  some 
topic  of  the  day,  and  occupy  the  hour  in  discussing 
chiefly  the  faults  or  excellences  of  public  men  or  of 
public  measures.  The  embezzlement  and  fall  of  a 
Tweed,  or  the  awkwardness  of  a  public  executioner, 
give  such  men  great  relief,  as  they  can  then  find 
something  to  preach  about. 

The  minister  should  ever  announce  great  princi- 
ples which  lie  at  the  foundation  of  societ}^ — principles 
affecting  the  rights  of  man  and  the  duties  of  the  Gov 
ernment.  But,  valuable  as  are  these  topics,  they  should 
be  but  occasional  and  incidental.  Sometimes,  pass- 
ing from  these  broad  principles,  the  minister  suffers 
himself  to  use  the  pulpit  to  promote  the  interests  of 
a  favorite  political  measure,  which  inures  to  the  ben- 
efit of  a  party  or  to  the  aspiration  of  some  individual. 
Such  a  course  ever  lowers  the  tone  of  the  pulpit,  and 
offends  some  of  the  congregation.  It  requires  skill 
and  tact  and  heroism  to  utter  the  high  moral  require- 
ments of  the  law  of  God,  and  yet  to  avoid  such  dec- 
larations as  in  times  of  high  party  excitement  may 
foster  mere  p^rty  or  personal  interests. 

Still  worse  is  it  when  the  minister  allows  himself 
to  be  personally  drawn  into  a  political  canvass.  Par- 
ties are  nearly  equally  balanced,  and  those  in  the 
minority  fancy  that    the    personal    influence   of    the 


Political  Candidates.  307 

preacher  may  turn  a  sufficient  number  of  votes  lo 
make  them  triumphant.  Hence  they  urge  him  to  be 
a  candidate.  They  dwell  upon  the  great  issues  at 
stake.  They  tell  him  how  greatly  good  men  are  need- 
ed in  office,  show  him  what  a  vast  work  he  may  per- 
form, and  endeavor  to  show  him  that  it  is  really  his 
duty  to  accept  the  nomination.  Sometimes,  alas  !  he 
is  persuaded  to  do  so  ;  he  leaves  his  pulpit,  engages 
in  the  canvass,  mingles  in  political  scenes,  if  not  in 
intrigues,  and  is  absorbed  for  the  time  being  in  the 
pending  issues.  These  instances  are  comparatively 
rare,  and  the  minister  conscientiously  believes  he  is 
doing  right ;  yet  my  conviction  is  that  the  result  is 
always  disastrous,  both  to  himself  and  to  the  Church, 
It  is  disastrous  to  himself,  in  that  his  status  is  low- 
ered even  in  the  estimation  of  his  political  friends. 
They  selected  him  not  because  they  cared  for  him, 
or  really  desired  his  services,  but  because  he  was  an 
available  candidate.  They  flattered  him  to  use  him, 
and  they  henceforth  regard  him  as  a  man  that  may 
be  flattered  and  used.  Had  he  declined  the  j^roffered 
nomination  ;  had  he  said,  "  I  have  but  one  work  to 
do ;  I  must  preach  Christ  and  him  crucified,"  he 
would  have  occupied  a  position  of  higher  moral  emi- 
nence. But  by  those  outside  of  his  own  party  he  is 
simply  regarded  as  one  who  is  ready  to  use  his  min- 
isterial influence  for  the  promotion  of  his  personal 
ambition.  If  unsuccessful,  years  will  pass  away  be- 
fore he  can  regain  the  high  moral  influence  which  he 


308  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

once  exerted.  If  successful,  his  thoughts  are  turned 
from  the  pulpit.  The  questions  which  he  considers, 
the  associations  in  which  he  mingles,  and  the  appli- 
cations for  office  and  assistance  constantly  pressed 
upon  him,  divert  his  attention  from  that  course  of 
reading  and  that  character  of  mental  study  which 
gave  him  efficiency  and  power  in  the  pulpit.  As  the 
result,  he  either  returns  to  his  ministry  at  the  close 
of  his  official  period  a  weaker  and  less  efficient  min- 
ister than  before  ;  or,  what  is  more  likely,  having  em- 
barked on  the  political  stream,  he  is  borne  onward 
by  the  current,  never  to  return  again.  Thus  one 
whom  God  has  called  to  the  ministry  is,  to  that  ex- 
tent, lost  to  the  cause  of  Christ.  Rut  the  most  dis- 
astrous result  is,  that  the  public  understand  that  those 
who  profess  to  be  called  of  God  have  no  such  convic- 
tions as  bind  them  to  their  work  ;  that  they  are  ready 
to  exchange  it  for  any  position  which  they  may  con- 
sider more  lucrative  or  more  honorable.  As  one  min- 
ister accepts  such  a  nomination,  the  public  infer  that 
all  would  do  so,  if  they  were  equally  pressed  ;  and 
hence  that  the  ministry  is  regarded  by  the  ministers 
themselves,  not  as  a  divine  calling,  but  as  an  inferior 
position  which  they  use  as  a  stepping-stone  to  some- 
thing higher.  In  this  way  the  character  of  the  min- 
istry, in  general,  suffers  immensely,  while  the  indi- 
vidual, at  the  best,  can  be  but  slightly  benefited, 

I  have  stated  this  case  in  its  least  exceptionable 
form  :    much   worse  is   it   when   a   minister   seeks   a 


Lack  of  Earnestness.  309 

nomination  ;  when  he  voluntarily  abandons  the  pul- 
pit to  mingle  in  party  strife  ;  or  when  he  accepts  of  a 
clerkship,  becomes  an  agent  for  insurance  societies, 
or  for  selling  pianos,  or  sewing  machines,  or  patent 
medicines.  Such  men,  I  beUeve,  do  immense  injury 
to  the  cause  of  Christ.  It  is  proper,  however,  to  say 
that  these  remaiks  apply  only  to  those  who  have 
health  and  strength  for  the  pulpit,  and  who  are  ap- 
proved and  desired  by  the  Churches.  When  a  min- 
ister's health  becomes  so  impaired  that  he  is  unable  to 
take  a  regular  pastoral  charge,  it  is  right  for  him  to 
engage  in  any  honest  calling  for  a  livelihood  ;  and 
when  the  Churches,  for  any  cause,  do  not  desire  his 
ministerial  services,  he  should  be  at  perfect  liberty 
to  engage  in  other  callings  and  duties,  and  to  retire 
altogether  from  the  active  ministry. 

Quite  possibly  all  these  cases  have  their  root  in 
the  lack  of  a  clear  conviction  of  a  divine  call  to  the 
ministry,  or  of  deep  earnestness  of  spirit  ;  for  with- 
out earnestness  a  man  accomplishes  but  little  good. 
The  earnest  man,  the  man  of  convictions,  who  sees  a 
perishing  world,  and  believes  God  has  sent  him  to 
help  in  rescuing  it,  will  not  turn  aside  from  his  high 
and  holy  calling.  He  will  bear  privation,  face  diffi- 
culties, endure  hardships,  and  meet  even  death  it- 
self, rather  than  to  turn  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the 
left  from  the  path  which  God  has  marked  out.  All 
the  causes  to  which  I  have  alluded  contribute  to 
the  inefficiency  of  the  pulpit,  and  give  some  color  of 


310  Lectures  on  Preach ixg. 

reason  to  those  who  proclaim  the  pulpit  to  be  a 
failure.  Yet  all  these  instances,  though  to  be  deeply 
rei;;retted,  fcrm  but  a  small  percentage  when  com- 
pared with  the  great  body  of  efficient  and  devoted 
ministers  who  are  toiling  in  the  Master's  vineyard. 
Hut  why  should  the  pulpit  be  singled  out  as  a  fail- 
ure ?  When  we  speak  of  other  professions,  we  do  not 
say  the  bar  is  a  failure  because  some  attorney  is  in- 
competent or  grossly  immoral,  or  that  education  is  a 
failure  because  some  professed  teachers  are  ignorant 
and  vicious,  or  that  medicine  is  a  failure  because 
some  physicians  are  unworthy  and  wicked.  Are 
bankers  to  be  reproached  because  in  almost  every 
city  some  one  has  been  guilty  of  embezzlement  .-•  are 
officers  of  government  to  be  assailed  because  some 
have  been  guilty  of  fraud  .-'  If  we  look  at  the  vast 
corporations  where  men  have  been  selected  for  their 
skill  and  integrity,  what  a  record  do  we  find  ! 

Not  only  does  the  pulpit  bear  a  high  and  favorable 
comparison  with  other  professions,  but  the  modern 
pulpit  is  no  less  pure  than  in  former  ages.  One  in 
twelve  of  those  whom  Christ  selected  proved  a  trai- 
tor ;  another  denied  his  Master,  and  all  forsook  him 
and  fled.  In  the  times  of  the  apostles,  Demas  loved 
the  present  world,  and  others  made  shipwreck  of 
faith.  The  address  to  the  angels  of  the  Churches  in 
Asia  Minor  shows  lukewarmness  and  error  exist- 
ing then.  So,  too,  all  along  the  current  of  the  ages, 
men  have  had  this  treasure  in  earthen  vessels,  and 


Compared  zvith  Last  Centiuy.  311 

have  been  liable  to  infirmity  and  mistake.  The 
preachers  in  the  Middle  Ages  were  scarcely  worthy 
of  the  name,  and  the  survival  of  the  Church  in  the 
hands  of  such  agents  was  a  miracle  of  grace.  How 
dark  was  the  condition  of  the  Church  when  the 
trumpet  voices  of  Luther,  Melanchthon,  Calvin,  and 
Zvvingle  rang  out  in  the  ears  of  Europe  in  the  six- 
teenth century !  How  terrible  the  satires  of  Eras- 
mus upon  the  monks  of  his  day  !  Read  the  pages 
of  Bishop  Burnet  and  of  Macaulay,  and  how  sad  the 
picture  of  the  English  clergy  !  Listen  to  the  Arch- 
deacon of  Carlisle,  when,  as  late  as  1785,  he  exhort- 
ed his  clergy  not  to  frequent  ale-houses,  or  to  mingle 
with  men  of  the  lowest  classes  on  terms  of  equality. 
Making  every  alk)w^ance  for  cases  of  error  and  failure, 
the  ministry  of  to-day  is,  I  believe,  as  a  whole,  in 
mental  culture,  in  purity  of  life,  in  self-devotion, 
and  in  deep  piety,  superior  to  the  ministry  of  any 
period  since  the  apostolic  age.  In  all  these  respects 
the  modern  pulpit  is  not  a  failure  as  compared  with 
the  past. 

It  may  sometimes  be  alleged  that  we  have  no  such 
displays  of  power  under  the  ministry  of  the  word  as 
were  realized  one  hundred  years  ago  under  the  min- 
istry of  Dr.  Edwards  in  New  England,  of  Asbury  and 
Davies  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  and  of  Wesley 
and  Whitefield  in  England.  But  it  should  be  re- 
membered that  these  cases  were  almost  solitary. 
Now  the  spirit  of  revival  is  abroad  ;  scarcely  a  year 


312  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

passes  without  remarkable  divine  power  being  mani- 
fested in  some  of  our  city  Churches,  or  in  some  of 
the  rural  districts.  Many  of  the  pastors  are  exceed- 
ingly successful.  Many  sermons  are  preached  with 
divine  unction,  and  multiplied  thousands  are  annually 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  Great  im- 
pressions, also,  are  sometimes  made.  I  have  been 
present  more  than  once  when  whole  congregations 
have  risen  to  their  feet,  and  have  not  unfrequently 
been  freely  bathed  in  tears.  I  have  been  present 
where  in  a  single  church  hundreds  have  in  a  lew 
weeks  professed  to  experience  the  renewing  power 
of  divine  grace.  While  there  are  no  circumstances 
so  singularly  remarkable  as  may  have  been  in  the 
past,  or  which  attract  such  extensive  notice,  I  be- 
lieve there  are  more  conversions  in  the  recent  years 
than  in  any  previous  period  in  the  history  of  Chris- 
tianity. 

But  what  shall  supplant  the  pulpit  if  it  be  a  failure  ? 
Some  of  the  writers  to  which  I  have  alluded  extol 
the  press,  while  they  depreciate  the  pulpit,  fancy- 
ing that  the  pen  is  not  only  mightier  than  the  sword, 
but  is  more  potent  than  the  tongue  of  fire.  Such 
writers,  however,  might  well  consider  that  the  press 
is  an  outgrowth  of  Christianity,  and  should  assist  and 
not  impair  its  pulpit  power.  It  is  true  t"hat  block 
printing  was  known  in  China  before  it  was  practiced 
in  Europe.  But  it  was  the  invention  of  movable 
types  that  gave  to  printing  its   great  impulse  and  its 


Limits  of  tJie  Press.  313 

almost  unlimited  power.  This  invention  was  made  in 
Christian  lands,  and  was  applied  almost  immediately 
to  the  printing  and  spread  of  the  Bible.  To-day,  what 
is  the  power  of  the  press  beyond  the  limit  of  Chris- 
tian countries  .''  Such  papers  as  the  leading  journals 
of  England  and  America  are  unknov/n  in  lands  out- 
side of  Christendom.  The  men  who  control  the 
press,  and  give  it  its  power,  are  the  children  of  Chris- 
tian mothers,  the  students  of  Christian  scliools,  and 
are  girt  round  and  sustained  by  a  Christian  public 
opinion.  While  the  press  may  assist  the  pulpit,  it  is 
the  pulpit  which  indirectly  gives  life  and  power  to 
the  press.  It  forms  the  public  mind,  incites  to  read- 
ing and  study,  and  prepares  a  host  of  readers  to  re- 
ceive and  enjoy  its  daily  issues.  Will  any  of  these 
men  who  boast  the  power  of  the  press  establish  a 
printing-office  among  the  pagan  Indians  .''  Did  any 
of  them  carry  the  daily  press  to  the  Fiji  Islands  .''  or  to 
the  New  Hebrides  or  New  Guinea  ?  Christian  mission- 
aries went  there  ;  Christ  crucified  was  preached  ;  the 
people  were  evangelized  ;  a  religious  press  was  es- 
tablished, and  a  secular  press  has  slowly  followed. 
These  gentlemen  of  the  press,  with  all  their  excel- 
lences and  with  all  their  enlightening  powers,  never 
undertook  to  civilize  a  savage  nation  by  means  of  the 
press.  They  have  no  aspiration  for  martyrdom,  or 
to  be  eaten  by  cannibals.  Even  a  Stanley,  who  has 
been  the  boldest  of  the  explorers  connected  with  the 
press,  started   to   find  a   Livingstone,  who  had  gone 


314  Lectures  o\  Preaching. 

with  a  message  from  his  divine  Master,  and  the  dis- 
coveries of  Stanley  have  not  led  to  the  establishment 
of  a  daily  paper  in  Central  Africa  ;  but  they  have 
led  to  the  founding  of  missions,  and  they  will  soon 
witness  the  establishment  of  a  religious  press.  To- 
day, every-where,  grand  as  is  the  press,  it  is  the  re- 
ligious press  that  throws  its  first  rays  of  light  across 
the  gloom  of  heathen  darkness,  and  that  religious 
press  is  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  men  of  the  pulpit. 

What  do  skeptical  men  of  science  propose  to  give 
us  in  lieu  of  the  pulpit.''  Their  objection  against  the 
pulpit  is,  as  I  have  stated,  not  so  much  as  to  its 
agency,  as  to  the  message  which  it  proclaims.  With 
them  the  failure  of  the  pulpit  means  the  failure  of 
Christianity,  or,  as  they  sometimes  put  it,  the  failure 
of  Protestantism.  These  forms  are  essentially  the 
same.  The  pulpit  is  the  great  agency  of  Christianity  ; 
where  it  flourishes  or  fails,  so  does  the  other.  Prot- 
estantism is  the  most  active  form  of  Christianity,  and 
in  its  services  the  pulpit  occupies  a  leading  position. 
Such  writers  often  speak  disparagingly  of  ministers 
and  their  work  because  they  dislike  the  character  of 
the  work.  They  descend  from  their  assumed  lofty 
si^here,  however,  when  they  resort  to  personalities, 
and  represent  ministers  as  men  of  narrow  intellect 
and  of  limited  culture,  of  contracted  views  and  of 
illiberal  feeling  ;  when  they  speak  of  them  as  teaching 
simply  a  creed,  as  having  no  eyes  to  the  beauties  of 
nature,  or  no   broad   conceptions  of  the   universe  in 


Lofty  Pretensions.  315 

which  they  dwell,  and   as   not  being   identified  with 
the   great  movements  of   society,  or  as   taking  but 
little  interest   in  the   humanitarian    questions  of  the 
age.     Such  writers,  also,  assume  for  themselves  great 
liberality  and  comprehensiveness  of  view.     They  see 
in    every    system  of    religion    simply   an    accommo- 
dation to   the  weakness   of  men — something   which 
acts    upon    their   fears   or    excites    their    hopes ;    in 
short,  a  fiction   that  is  serviceable  to  society  in  its 
primitive  condition,  for  the  preservation  of  order,  and 
for  the  obedience  of  citizens.     To  them  the  system 
of   Confucius,  or   of  Mohammed,  is  about  equal   to 
Christianity,  each  being  best  suited  to  its  own  country 
and  its  own  form  of  civilization.     They  fancy  that  all 
these  systems  are  designed  rather  for  the  childhood 
of  humanity,    and    that    with    its    development    and 
growth   they    shall    give    place    to    higher    scientific 
teachings,  and  thus  man  shall  be  governed  only  by 
his  native  impulses  under  the  control  of   his  reason. 
Might  we  not  ask  upon  what  meat"  these  Caesars  feed," 
that  they  assume  such  lofty  superiority  .-*     Have  they 
books  to  read  which  are  not  in   our  hands  .''     Have 
we  not  listened  to  the  teachings  of  the  same  profess- 
ors .-*     Are  not  the  laboratories  open  to  us,  also  }     Has 
nature  revealed  new  secrets  only  to  them  ?  or  has  the 
Almighty  endowed  them  alonewith  intellectual  power .-' 
Nay,  are  they  not,  also,  the  children  of  Christian  moth- 
ers .''     Were  they  not  trained  in    Christian  schools  .-* 
These  men,  with  all  their  lofty  pretensions,  have  been 


3i6  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

educated  in  institutions  founded  and  endowed  by 
Cliristian  men,  which  have  gained  their  prominence 
under  the  influence  and  patronage  of  the  pulpit.  They 
hve  in  tlie  midst  of  a  generation  of  readers  trained 
in  the  same  schools,  and  molded  and  fashioned  by 
the  teachings  of  the  pulpit,  and  their  readers  receive 
and  enjoy  their  speculations.  Where  to-day  is  one 
distinguished  scientist  born  beyond  the  pale  ot  Chris- 
tendom ?  Where  is  the  scientist  who  is  willing  to 
take  up  his  abode  in  heathen  lands  or  among  barba- 
rous tribes,  to  civilize  and  enlighten  them  ?  Hostile 
to  Christianity  though  they  may  be,  they  are  willing 
to  live  only  under  the  shadow  of  its  institutions, 
and  enjoy  the  benefits  which  a  Christian  civilization 
has  prepared.  These  infidel  scientists  act  madly 
when  they  assail  the  superstructure  of  Christianity. 
Were  they  able  to  grasp  its  pillars  and  to  overthrow 
its  structure,  they  would,  like  a  blind  Samson,  bury 
themselves  in  its  ruins.  Their  sphere  does  not  nec- 
essarily bring  them  in  contact  with  Christianity. 
Their  assaults  are  voluntary  and  of  malice  prepense. 
To  give  them  all  they  desire,  they  find  a  world  pro- 
duced they  know  not  how,  governed  they  know 
not  by  whom,  and  elements  with  certain  appetencies 
they  know  not  how  constituted.  They  study  the 
changes  of  a  world  which  they  tell  us  has  long  ex- 
isted, of  a  universe  with  such  unity  of  law  that  it 
must  have  been  evolved,  at  least  so  far  as  each  system 
is   concerned,  from  a  central    magnitude.     They  tell 


UViaf  will  Tluy  give  us?  31/ 

us  that  all  classes  of  animated  being  have  such  ru- 
dimentary similarity  and  such  affinities  as  point  to 
one  common  origin,  be  it  cellular  tissue,  protoplasm, 
or  what  not.  They  nnd  a  material  universe,  but  they 
find  no  God.  They  find  matter  in  multitudinous  forms, 
but  they  find  no  spirit.  If  this  be  so,  their  researches 
keep  them  wholly  out  of  the  field  of  Christian  thought 
and  discovery,  and  they  leave  their  proper  pursuits 
when  they  seek  to  make  a  tilt  at  Christianity. 

What  do  they  propose  to  give  us  in  its  stead  } 
Will  they  take  us  back  to  paganism,  and  make  us  to 
bow  down  to  stocks  and  stones,  and  to  offer  human 
sacrifices.''  Will  they  extol  Mohammedanism  .<*  What 
is  it  doing  for  humanity  }  Poor  Turkey  is  fatally  sick 
under  its  teachings,  and  would  have  died  long  ago 
had  it  not  been  kept  galvanized  by  England's  power. 
Will  they  give  us  the  system  of  Confucius  }  Alas, 
the  very  dregs  of  Christian  society  are  raising  their 
hands  in  California,  as  if  in  holy  horror,  lest  they 
may  be  contaminated  by  the  influence  of  the  race 
educated  under  its  teachings  !  Will  they  take  from 
suffering  humanity  all  hope  of  a  better  life .''  from 
parting  friends  all  hope  of  a  reunion  .-*  from  the  lone- 
liness of  the  grave  the  hope  of  a  resurrection  ?  from 
the  human  bosom  all  the  aspirations  of  a  glorious 
immortality  which  now  ennoble  and  elevate  Chris- 
tian society  .-*  Must  we  die  as  brutes,  without  hope 
of  future  life  .''  Has  not  the  human  heart  already 
enough  of  beastly  power,  without  the  efibrt  to  quench 


3i8  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

the  light  of  a  spiritual  life  which  can  govern  and 
control  ? 

But  neither  Christians  nor  Christian  ministers  are 
the  enemies  of  science.  Why  should  they  be  ?  All 
science  is  simply  a  perception  of  the  thoughts  of 
God — a  discovery  of  what  he  designed  when  he 
spread  out  the  heavens,  and  gemmed  the  infinitude 
of  space  with  its  m3'riad  of  worlds.  The  laws  of 
light  are  simply  the  power  with  which  the  Creator 
invested  it.  AH  we  can  do  is  to  find  what  he  has 
written  on  its  wings.  The  law  of  magnetism  is  the 
subtle  power  and  the  mode  of  action  with  which  God 
has  touched  the  loadstone.  The  laws  of  astronomy, 
what  are  they  but  the  thoughts  of  God,  as  he  pro- 
jected worlds  into  space,  and  gave  to  them  their 
orbits  and  their  periods  .''  Why  should  not  Chris- 
tians and  Christian  ministers  love  such  studies  .-* 
They  reveal  the  wisdom,  the  power,  and  the  benev- 
olence of  their  great  Father.  Of  nature,  in  all  its 
expanse,  of  all  created  powers,  visible  and  invisible, 
hath  not  God  said,  "  All  are  yours  .''  "  Are  we  not 
"  heirs  of  God,  and  joint  heirs  with  Jesus  Christ  .'' " 

History  tells  us  that  the  leading  schools  of  Europe 
were  founded  either  by  the  clergy  or  under  their 
advice  and  influence.  The  Protestant  clergy,  espe- 
cially, have  been  patrons  of  science.  The  colleges 
and  universities  of  America,  with  but  here  and  there 
an  exception,  were  either  founded  by  Christian  de- 
nominations, or  by  the  State  under  the  suggestions 


Claims  of  Scientists.  319 

of  Christian  nnnisters.  They  have  filled  the  chairs 
of  presidents  and  professors  ;  they  have  taught  the 
principles  of  science,  both  theoretically  and  prac- 
tically, and  hav^e  given  even  to  these  advanced  sci- 
entists the  greater  part  of  that  knowledge  of  which 
they  boast.  How  comes  it  that  these  men  are  such 
a  failure,  if  their  students  have  become  such  giants  ? 
I  can  accord  to  the  scientist  nearly  all  he  can 
claim,  without  in  the  slightest  degree  affecting  the 
foundations  of  my  faith.  Does  he  tell  me  this  uni- 
verse was  created  millions  of  ages  ago  .-'  I  do  not 
deny  it,  for  my  Bible  tells  me  it  was  "  in  the  begin- 
ning," which  may  have  been  long  before  the  millions 
of  ages  which  he  claims.  Does  he  tell  me  that  the 
laws  which  are  in  operation  to-day  hav^e  been  in  op- 
eration for  millions  of  years  .''  I  admit  it  ;  and  only 
add,  that  the  great  Lawgiver  existed  before  these 
laws.  Does  he  tell  me  of  the  boundlessness  of  space, 
of  the  infinitude  of  worlds  1  I  rejoice  the  more,  for  all 
are  the  work  of  my  Father's  hands.  Does  he  tell  me 
that  the  laws  of  evolution  show  a  development  from 
the  less  to  the  greater  }  I  accept  all  that ,  for,  under 
the  Gospel,  from  a  sinner  I  become  a  saint,  and  from 
a  saint  I  shall  be  exalted  above  the  angels,  and  shall 
sit  down  Vv'ith  the  Saviour  on  his  throne.  I  believe 
in  the  survival  of  the  fittest,  for  the  Christian  shall 
survive  "  the  wreck  of  matter  and  the  cru.-;h  of 
worlds."  Does  he  tell  me  that  this  evolution  dis- 
penses with  the  Creator  .''      I  say  not  so.     There  are 


320  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

many  things  which  are  claimed  in  evolution,  to 
which  I  must  give  the  verdict  of  the  Scotch  jur}-, 
"  Not  proven."  Yet,  were  I  to  admit  them  all,  they 
would  not  affect  my  faith  in  the  wisdom  and  skill 
and  power  of  the  great  Father.  I  admire  the  skill 
of  the  watch-maker  who  produces  an  accurate  time- 
piece ;  but  how  much  more  would  I  admire  his  skill 
if  he  so  made  one  watch  that  it  was  capable  not  only 
of  keeping  time,  but  also  of  evolving  a  series  of 
watches,  each  keeping  better  time  than  that  which 
produced  it,  so  that  from  the  plainest,  simplest  form 
of  a  watch  there  should  be  eventually  evolved  a  mag- 
nificent chronometer,  with  jeweled  holes,  whose  time 
would  not  vary  from  the  true  time  a  second  in  a  mill- 
ion of  years  !  If  the  great  Creator  created  but  a  germ, 
but  in  that  germ  were  all  possibilities  of  form  and 
motion  and  magnitude,  of  atoms  and  of  worlds,  with 
their  laws  of  motion  so  impressed  on  each  that  it 
should  take  its  place  in  due  time,  my  admiration  for 
his  wonderful  skill  would  only  he  enhanced.  Yet  all 
that  refers  only  to  my  dwelling-place,  to  my  earthly 
surrounding,  to  the  tabernacle  in  which  I  dwell.  The 
revelation  of  God's  mercy  and  love  comes  to  me  in  a 
difterent  line.  They  are  not  evolutions,  but  emana- 
tions. They  come  upon  me  from  above,  like  the 
sunlight  and  rain  of  heaven.  These  men  who  talk 
of  evolution  claim  an  infinity  of  time.  I  ask,  How 
long  since  this  protoplasm  developed  into  a  turtle, 
the  turtle  into  a  monkey,  or  the  monkey  into  a  man  .-• 


Hoiv  has  it  Failed  f  321 

They  admit  there  is  no  positive  record  anywhere. 
Since  human  history  began  there  is  no  instance  of 
any  animal  ascending  to  the  scale  of  man.  If  at  all, 
it  must  have  been  far  back  in  the  distant  ages. 
Then,  I  ask,  why  not  give  Christianity  similar  time  ? 
She  is  changing  the  face  of  creation  ;  she  is  trans- 
forming sinners  into  saints,  savages  into  enlightened 
men.  She  took  them  naked,  rude,  and  uncultured, 
and  has  clothed,  taught,  and  refined  them.  She  has 
taken  man,  that  bowed  down  to  stocks  and  stones, 
and  has  elevated  him  until  he  uses  the  world  as  a 
work-shop  and  all  elements  as  his  instruments,  until 
he  feels  that  he  is  a  son  of  God  and  his  vicegerent 
upon  earth.  Why  shall  Christianity  be  called  a  fail- 
ure, because  it  has  not  yet  reached  all  the  sons  of 
men  or  transformed  them  into  sons  of  science  .<* 
Give  her  at  least  as  much  time  to  change  millions 
of  savages  into  enlightened  humanity,  millions  of 
sinners  into  saints,  as,  according  to  their  own  ask- 
ing, it  takes  to  change  one  species  into  another. 
We  promise  that  the  whole  world  shall  be  brought 
to  the  foot  of  the  cross  before  the  evolutionist  shall 
find  even  a  single  monkey  transformed  into  a  man. 

If  the  Christian  pulpit  has  failed,  may  we  ask  in 
what  respect .''  Is  the  area  of  the  earth's  surface  which 
it  occupies  diminishing  .-*  The  writers  who  caricature 
Christianity  particularly  object  to  our  sending  mis- 
sionaries to  heathen  lands.    But  in  despite  of  ridicule 

they  go.     Sydney  Smith,  bidding  farewell  to  one  who 
21 


322  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

was  going  among  cannibals,  said,  "  I  hope  you  will 
not  disagree  with  the  man  who  eats  you."  But,  without 
regarding  danger,  they  went.  The  world  is  their  par- 
ish. They  go  every-where,  and  by  their  agency  the 
Gospel  is  triumphing.  Large  portions  of  India  and  of 
southern  x^f rica  in  the  last  half  century  have  received 
Christian  missionaries  and  Christian  schools.  The 
large  island  of  Madagascar,  previously  intensely  hea- 
then, is  now  under  Christian  sway,  and  its  prime  min- 
ister recently  attended  an  association  of  ministers. 
China  has  opened  her  doors  ;  and  presbyteries,  asso- 
ciations, and  conferences  are  organized  and  actively 
at  work.  Japan,  that  trampled  on  the  cross,  now  list- 
ens to  the  Gospel,  and  sends  her  youth  to  Christian 
schools.  Over  a  great  part  of  western  and  central 
Asia,  of  northern  and  north-western  America,  and  of 
western  and  central  Africa,  the  Gospel  has  been 
preached  by  the  missionaries  of  the  cross.  In  no 
previous  age  of  the  world  has  the  area  of  pulpit  teach- 
ing been  so  rapidly  and  so  widely  extended.  Nor  has 
there  been  any  failure  in  spreading  it  among  people  of 
different  languages.  The  Bible  has  been  translated 
during  that  period  into  the  dialects  of  China  and  Ja- 
pan, into  dialects  of  Asia  and  Africa,  as  well  as  of  the 
Indian  tribes  of  America.  There  is  no  instance  of 
Christian  teaching  or  the  power  of  the  pulpit  disap- 
pearing during  the  present  century  from  any  nation, 
or  from  any  language  into  which  it  had  entered.  The 
languages  of  the  Bible  have,  indeed,  become  the  strong 


Increase  of  CJiurches.  323 

languages  of  earth.  Christian  missionaries  have 
done  more  than  all  other  men  of  science  combined 
for  the  introduction  of  truth  into  the  languages  of 
the  world. 

No  one  will  pretend  to  say  that  the  number  of 
Christian  pulpits  has  in  any  country  during  the  last 
half  century  diminished.  Every-where  in  Europe 
and  America,  in  Asia  and  Africa,  and  in  the  islands 
of  the  sea,  new  church  edifices  have  been  erected  in 
increasing  numbers.  In  the  United  States,  where  we 
especially  hear  this  cry  of  the  failure  of  the  pulpit,  the 
statistics  show  a  most  wonderful  increase.  Professor 
Denian,  of  Brown  University,  states  that  the  number 
of  organized  Churches  in  1777  was  less  than  2,oco. 
In  1870  there  were  over  72,000;  while  the  increase 
of  population  had  been  from  3,000,000  to  38,000,000, 
showing  an  immense//^  rata  increase  of  the  Churches 
over  the  population.  We  had  no  census  tables  prior 
to  1850,  giving  the  value  of  church  property.  But  ^^J — 
in  1850  the  returns  show  the  estimated  value  to  be 
^87,328,891.  In  1870  the  report  exhibits  $354,483,- 
581,  or  an  increase  of  more  than  fourfold,  while  the 
increase  of  population  was  only  about  sixty-five  per 
cent.  It  is  true,  in  this  period  the  increase  of  sit- 
tings did  not  quite  equal  the  comparative  increase  of 
population,  but  the  large  foreign  immigration  must 
be  taken  into  account.  The  population  had  been 
transferred,  but  not  their  churches  ;  yet  even  for  this 
increase  the  sittings  were  nearly  equal. 


324  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

The  increase  of  the  number  of  communicants  in 
the  various  Churches  has  considerably  exceeded  in  its 
ratio  the  increase  of  population,  thus  showing  the  in- 
fluence and  power  of  the  pulpit.  As  I  have  not  these 
tables  in  full  as  to  all  the  denominations,  I  need  not 
give  them  as  to  any.  The  fact  is  well  known  that  all 
the  leading  denominations  are  increasing  in  the  num- 
ber of  their  ministers,  communicants,  and  church 
edifices. 

If  it  be  true  that  "  where  the  treasure  is,  there  will 
the  heart  be  also,"  the  wonderful  increase  of  church 
property  shows  the  influence  of  the  pulpit  over  the 
popular  mind,  since  such  vast  sums  have  been  con- 
tributed to  aid  its  cause. 

The  attachment  of  the  masses  to  their  churches 
has,  also,  been  manifested  in  the  recent  panic  through 
which  our  country  has  passed.  For  more  than  five 
years  business  has  been  depressed,  banks  have  sus- 
pended, factories  have  closed,  railroads  have  passed 
into  the  hands  of  receivers,  merchants  have  gone  into 
bankruptcy,  and  cai)italists  have  failed  ;  but  during  all 
that  period  church  edifices  have  been  erected  and 
improved,  Sunday-schools  have  been  gathered,  and 
the  number  of  Church  communicants  has  largely  in- 
creased. During  all  that  period  how  few  churches 
have  been  closed,  how  few  have  been  sold  by  the 
sheriff,  or  how  few  have  been  diverted  from  their 
proper  use  !  If  it  be  true  that  in  times  of  financial 
embarrassment  and  distress  men  will  give  their  money 


Sn  1 1  day-  Schools.  325 

only  to  what  they  deem  matters  of  vast  importance, 
have  we  not  positive  proof  that  the  influence  of  the 
pulpit  and  the  Church  has  in  no  wise  been  impaired 
or  diminished.  In  this  connection  consider,  also,  the 
vast  sums  which  have  been  given  for  the  endowment 
of  Christian  colleges  and  seminaries.  While  I  have 
not  the  exact  figures,  I  believe  the  amount  given  in 
these  years  of  national  distress  will  compare  most 
favorably  with  the  contributions  for  similar  periods  in 
the  most  prosperous  times. 

Where,  then,  is  the  tendency  to  diminution  seen  .' 
Is  the  pulpit  losing  the  control  of  youth  }  This 
question  needs  only  to  be  asked  to  be  answered. 
Look  at  the  Sunday-schools  throughout  the  world. 
In  the  last  fifty  years  what  an  immense  advance  has 
been  made  ;  almost  the  entire  children  of  the  land  are 
now  receiving  instruction  in  the  Churches  on  the 
Lord's  day.  That  instruction,  also,  is  of  a  higher 
character  than  formerly.  The  number  of  intelligent 
teachers  has  greatly  increased.  The  books  and  pa- 
pers to  assist  such  teachers  constitute  a  library  in 
themselves.  The  increased  interest  is  seen  in  the  es- 
tablishing of  institutes,  in  the  associations  of  teach- 
ers, in  the  publication  of  books,  and  in  the  establish- 
ment of  libraries.  The  International  Lessons  are  one 
indication  of  the  coming  unity  of  the  world.  The 
era  of  strife  will  be  substituted  by  the  era  of  peace, 
"and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them."  No  previous 
acre  of  the  world  ever  beheld  one  half  the  attention 


3^6  Lkctures  ox  Preaching.' 

paid  to  the  youth  of  the  land  by  the  Church  and  by 
the  pulpit  as  that  which  is  seen  to-day.  If  we  pass 
outside  of  strictly  Church  work,  and  inquire  for  the 
colleges  and  training  schools  of  the  land,  we  find  them, 
in  large  measure,  under  the  patronage  and  control  of 
some  one  of  the  Christian  denominations.  These 
men  who  boast  of  the  failure  of  the  pulpit  found  no 
schools,  endow  no  colleges,  establish  no  professional 
schools.  The  number  of  schools  for  training  minis- 
ters has  vastly  increased  in  the  last  fifty  years.  But 
not  a  single  school  has  been  founded  for  the  pro- 
fessed purpose  of  training  infidels  or  infidel  teachers. 
Even  the  schools  of  science  to-day  are  chiefly  under 
the  control  of  the  Christian  denominations;  and  the 
vast  majority  of  scientific  professors  are  to-day  at- 
tendants at  Christian  churches  and  devoted  to  Chris- 
tian principles.  But  as  the  agitator  makes  himself 
heard  while  hundreds  of  conservatives  remain  quiet, 
so  a  few  men  of  science,  a  small  minority  compared 
with  the  whole,  have  fancied  themselves  to  be  the 
representatives  of  science,  and  have  arrogated  to 
themselves  the  right  to  speak  in  her  name. 

Nor  is  the  press  by  any  means  so  generally  in  the 
hands  of  rationalistic  thinkers  as  they  would  have  us 
believe.  The  religious  press  is  an  element  which 
these  men  have  never  estimated.  Every  denomina- 
tion has  its  organs  and  its  associated  papers,  which 
circulate  by  thousands  in  their  various  communities  ; 
and  there  are  Sunday  school  papers  and  periodicals 


SevDiuns  in  the  Press.  327 

which  issue  hundreds  of  thousands  of  copies  weekly. 
Besides  these  papers  there  are  magazines  and  reviews 
of  a  higher  character  which  are  published  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  various  Churches.  These,  in  point  of 
numbers,  have  a  circulation  immensely  surpassing 
the  issue  of  those  critical  papers  which  assume  to  be 
the  leaders  of  thought.  The  strictly  secular  press  of 
to-day  gives  a  prominence  to  religious  matters  almost 
unknown  thirty  years  ago  ;  the  proceedings  of  almost 
every  Church  meeting  are  published,  while  not  un- 
frequently  sermons  appear  in  their  columns.  How 
is  the  pulpit  a  failure,  when  the  secular  press  gives 
currency  to  sermons  to  an  extent  unknown  in  pre- 
vious years.  It  is  a  recognition  that  their  patrons 
desire  these  sermons,  and  an  illustration  of  the  in- 
creasing power,  and  not  the  failure,  of  the  pulpit. 
More  people  attend  church  services  this  year  than 
did  ever  before,  more  children  are  enrolled  in  the 
Sabbath-schools,  more  Bibles  are  published,  more  ser- 
mons are  preached  ;  there  are  more  Christian  scien- 
tists, professors,  and  writers,  and  there  are  more 
ministers  intelligent  and  cultured,  than  were  ever 
found  in  any  other  era  of  earth's  history.  It  will  not 
be  denied  that  the  pulpit  was  the  chief  agent  in  the 
overthrowof  the  idolatry  of  the  world,  of  its  infanticide, 
and  of  its  gladiatorial  exhibitions.  As  a  fact  in  histo- 
ry, no  nations  ever  abandoned  their  idols  or  cast  away 
their  imaginary  gods  but  through  the  preaching  of 
the   Gospel,  with   the   exception  of  a  few   instances 


328  Lf.ctures  on  Preaching. 

where  Mohammedanism  has  supplanted  among  some 
Asiatic  and  African  tribes  heathen  worship  and  cus- 
toms. By  the  preaching  of  Christ  heathen  temples, 
shrines,  and  oracles  were  deserted.  There  is  not 
on  earth  to-day  a  knee  that  bows  to  Jupiter  or  Mars 
or  Venus  ;  this  same  influence  is  exerted  still.  And 
if,  in  the  last  half  century,  we  take  the  era  of  the 
modern  pulpit,  how  wide  has  been  the  extension  of 
its  range,  how  remarkable  its  trophies !  In  that 
period  it  has  spread  through  the  islands  of  the  seas, 
and  nations  grossly  idolatrous,  and  some  of  them 
even  cannibals,  have  become  Christianized  and  en- 
lightened. The  inhabitants  of  Fiji,  among  the  lowest 
of  this  class,  have  not  only  received  the  Gospel,  but 
(have  sent  native  missionaries  to  other  islands.  How 
I  proud  the  record  of  Geddes,  of  whom  it  was  said  in 
the  New  Hebrides  :  "When  he  came,  in  1846,  there 
\was  not  a  Christian  ;  when  he  left,  in  1872,  there  was 
not  a  heathen." 

Have  not  the  wheels  of  Juggernaut  been  stopped 
in  India  .''  Wives  no  longer  burn  on  the  funeral  piles 
of  their  husbands,  and  mothers  do  not  throw  their 
children  into  the  Ganges  to  appease  an  imaginary 
deity.  In  our  own  country,  as  well  as  in  Russia, 
human  slavery  has  disappeared.  With  us  it  ended 
in  civil  convulsions  ;  but  its  death  knell  had  been  al- 
ready sounded  from  the  pulpits  of  the  land.  To-day 
the  pulpit  is  the  great  antagonist  of  intemperance, 
and  the  host  of  vices  which  follow  in  its  train. 


Vitality  ^f  Pulpit.  329 

Consider,  also,  how  much  of  its  work  has  been 
preparatory.  Years  have  been  spent  in  acquiring 
languages,  in  translating  the  Bible,  and  preparing  a 
Christian  literature.  Schools  have  been  founded, 
and  native  missionaries  have  been  trained.  The 
Christian  army  has  been  drilled  and  equipped,  and,  1 
believe,  is  about  to  make  an  advance  such  as  the 
world  has  never  seen.  Roman  roads,  and  the  pro- 
tection of  her  Government,  preceded  Christianity's 
first  great  march.  Printing  and  the  compass  her- 
alded the  Reformation.  The  steamship  ;  the  railroad 
tunneling  mountains  and  spanning  continents  ;  the 
telegraph,  with  its  multitudinous  wires  encircling  the 
earth  in  its  network  ;  the  mastery  of  all  languages  ; 
the  triumph  of  science  and  art,  to  me  portend  the 
coming  of  an  era  of  universal  light  and  glory.  In 
that  era  the  pulpit  shall  be,  as  it  ever  has  been,  a 
trumpet  of  glad  tidings  to  the  sons  of  men. 

Every  assault  upon  the  pulpit  in  the  past  ages  has 
left  it  stronger  than  ever  before.  It  possesses  a  won- 
derful vitality,  and  where  a  true  pulpit  sends  forth  its 
utterances  other  pulpits  will  catch  the  inspiration. 
The  preaching  of  reformers  aroused  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  and  a  Loyola  and  a  Xavier  enlisted 
and  trained  their  followers.  In  England  the  revival- 
ists of  the  last  century  by  their  constant  preaching 
stimulated  the  pulpits  of  the  Established  Church  ; 
and  in  America  the  different  denominations  provoke 
one  another  to  love  and  good  works. 


33'^  Lfxtures  on  Pkeaciiixg. 

The  pulpit  of  to-day  should  be  more  powerful  than 
that  of  any  previous  age.  The  preacher  has  more 
facilities  for  an  accurate  and  extensive  education, 
more  helps  to  a  thorough  understanding  of  God's 
word.  Investigation  and  research  have  brought  into 
clearer  light  the  meaning  of  various  illustrations,  and 
as  the  ages  advance  there  is  a  brighter  and  more 
beautiful  harmony  between  the  volume  of  revelation 
and  the  v^^orks  of  God  scattered  throughout  his  uni- 
verse. In  despite  of  the  votaries  of  a  philosophy 
falsely  so  called,  vi^ho  seek  to  invalidate  the  Bible 
and  to  overthrow  Christianity,  each  effort  recoils 
upon  its  authors,  and  the  claims  of  the  Bible  to  a 
divine  authorship  become  more  and  more  apparent. 
There  are  glimpes  of  light  long  concealed  which 
break  forth  every  now  and  then,  showing  that  He  who 
inspired  the  Scriptures,  thousands  of  years  ago,  was 
not  unacquainted  with  those  secrets  of  the  universe 
which  are  being  unfolded  in  these  later  times.  As 
some  inscription  discovered  on  the  bricks  of  Nin- 
eveh, or  among  the  monuments  of  Egypt,  throws  light 
upon  the  customs  of  buried  nations  in  the  distant 
centuries  ;  so  these  occasional  glimpses  connect  the 
record  of  the  past  with  the  discoveries  of  the  present. 
With  all  these  helps,  imparting  both  light  and  confi- 
dence, the  preacher  of  to-day  should  be  able  to  handle 
the  word  of  the  Lord  more  skillfully.  As  the  Moly 
Spirit  loves  truth,  and  accompanies  the  truth  to  the 
hearts  of  the  hearers,  so  we  may  expect  a  larger  spir- 


Bond  of  Union.  331 

itual  influence  to  attend  the  ministrations  of  the 
coming  day. 

The  pulpit  is  still  greatly  needed.  It  is  the  great 
bond  of  union  between  the  rich  and  the  poor.  Few 
understand  the  afflictions  through  which  the  lower 
classes  pass,  or  the  trials  which  they  endure.  Little 
do  the  upper  classes  of  society  know  uf  their  suffer- 
ings and  their  sorrows  ;  their  loss  of  employment 
and  consequent  loss  of  means  of  support ;  their  nar- 
row lodgings,  scanty  fare,  and  almost  untold  anguish. 
They  instinctively  shrink  from  the  presence  of  those 
who  live  more  comfortably  and  are  unwilling  to  come 
into  association  with  them.  This  unwillingness  to 
associate  strengthens  sometimes  into  aversion,  and 
then  "to  positive  hatred.  Not  until  the  minister  by 
some  act  of  kindness,  by  some  manifestation  of  sym- 
pathy, by  some  effort  in  their  behalf  gains  their  con- 
fidence, do  they  open  their  hearts  even  to  him. 

It  is  the  office  of  the  minister  to  draw  them  to 
himself,  that  he  may  draw  them  to  Christ.  What  a 
lesson  do  we  find  in  the  example  of  the  blessed  Sa- 
viour !  Wise  beyond  all  human  wisdom,  pure  beyond 
all  human  holiness,  he  stooped  to  touch  the  most 
loathsome  and  vile.  The  crowds  followed  him  be- 
cause he  did  them  good.  He  healed  the  sick,  he  fed 
the  hungry,  and  then  the  common  people  heard  him 
gladly.  So,  also,  did  the  apostles.  They  were  gifted 
with  miraculous  power  to  do  the  people  good,  and 
wherever  they  went  society  was  stirred  to  its  found- 


332  Lfxturks  on  Prkaching. 

ations.  They  were  miraculously  endowed  because 
they  had  no  power  of  themselves.  They  had  neither 
money,  position,  or  influence.  They  could  command 
no  resources,  could  confer  no  benefits.  Times  have 
changed.  The  Church  has  become  strong,  wealthy, 
and  influential.  The  riches  of  the  world  are  in  the 
hands  of  Christian  nations  and  Christian  communi- 
ties. While  the  minister  may  be  able  to  do  but  lit- 
tle of  himself,  he  has  the  public  ear  and  public  con- 
fidence. He  is  a  bond  of  union,  and  the  only  bond 
of  union,  between  the  various  classes  of  society.  Ed- 
ucated and  refined,  he  can  associate  with  the  wealth- 
iest and  the  highest ;  at  the  same  time,  with  limited 
means,  and  visiting  among  the  masses,  his  heart  is 
drawn  toward  them.  If  he  be  truly  a  man  of  God, 
he  becomes  a  nucleus  around  which  all  the  elements 
gather,  attracted  by  his  purity,  benevolence,  and  love. 
Without  this  sympathy  of  heavenly  origin  which  un- 
locks the  hearts  we  may  fear  the  Communism  of 
Europe.  The  remedy  for  this  fearful  state  of  society 
lies  in  great  measure  in  the  faithfulness  and  sympa- 
thy of  a  ministry  laboring  for  the  poor  as  well  as 
for  the  rich.  Next  to  this  is  the  provision  which  is 
made  in  Christian  countries,  and  especially  in  Amer- 
ica, for  the  education  of  their  children.  In  this  the 
United  States  are  to-day  in  advance  of  all  nations. 
Thus,  according  to  Hubner's  statistical  tables,  Rus- 
sia has  in  a  population  of  10,000  150  children  in  its 
elementary   schools  ;    Italy  has   708  ;    Great  Britain 


Public  Schools.  333 

and  Ireland,  800 ;  Austria  and  Hungary,  890  ; 
France,  99c;  the  German  Empire,  1,500;  and  the 
United  States,  2,180.  The  Commissioner  of  Edu- 
cation in  this  country  reports  a  higher  number  than 
these  statistics  show.  Another  counteracting  influ- 
ence lies  in  the  free  and  intimate  association  of  the 
children  of  all  classes  in  our  public  schools  ;  here  the 
rich  and  the  poor  meet  together,  and  a  spirit  of  ac- 
quaintanceship and  friendship  binds  the  extreme 
classes  together.  The  platform  is  one  of  intelligence 
and  knowledge,  and  the  son  of  the  pauper  and  of 
the  millionaire  stand  side  by  side.  Under  such  cir- 
cumstances deep-rooted  enmity  becomes  almost  im- 
possible. I  am  frank  to  say  that  I  view  with  no  fa- 
vor any  efforts  to  establish  parish  schools  by  any 
denomination  for  elementary  instruction.  They  sep- 
arate classes  ;  and  if  such  a  policy  should  become 
general,  the  same  alienation  prevailing  in  Europe 
would  be  realized  here.  Of  pubhc  schools  ministers 
generally  have  been  the  true  and  faithful  friends, 

I  have  now  finished,  young  gentlemen,  the  present 
course  of  lectures.  I  have  invited  your  attention  to 
the  various  departments  of  your  great  work.  T  have 
presented  you  glimpses  of  my  own  experience,  and 
I  have  set  before  you  the  duties  of  the  sacred  office 
in  some  measure  as  they  rise  before  my  mind.  Be- 
fore I  bid  you  farewell,  may  I  add  a  word  personal  to 
yourselves.  Your  exit  from  this  institution,  and  your 
entrance   practically   into  the  ministry,  will   mark  a 


334  Lectures  ox  Preaching. 

great  era  in  the  period  of  your  lives.  You  pass  from 
the  retreat  of  the  school  into  the  activity  of  a  busy 
world  ;  from  communion  with  kindred  and  cultured 
minds  to  become  servants  of  a  lost  and  ruined  hu- 
manity. You  go  to  lift  out  of  the  pit  of  degrada- 
tion the  most  depraved  and  vicious  ;  to  draw  the 
drunkard  from  his  cups,  and  the  young  man  from 
saloons  of  revelry  and  crime.  You  need  moral  cour- 
age ;  you  need  Christian  heroism.  Above  all,  you 
need  power  from  on  high.  We  are  told  that  the  Ro- 
man youth  of  noble  family  approaching  years  of  ma- 
turity entered  alone  into  a  private  apartment,  amid 
the  statues  of  the  gods  and  of  eminent  men.  In  that 
august  and  solemn  presence  he  divested  himself  of 
the  raiment  of  his  boyhood,  and  put  on  the  manly 
toga.  Then  and  there  he  made  his  vow  to  imitate 
the  virtues  of  the  great,  to  rival  them  in  deeds  of 
power,  and  to  make  for  himself  a  name  worthy  of  his 
kindred  and  ancestry.  So  as  you  go  forth  to  enter 
on  your  life's  duties,  make  a  fresh  consecration  of  all 
your  powers  to  the  service  of  God.  Call  around  ycu 
the  unseen  ;  summon  to  your  thoughts  the  great  men 
of  the  pulpit  who  have  shaken  and  moved  the  world  ; 
and  there,  with  a  cloud  of  holy  angels  above  you,  and 
in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  Son  of  God,  whose 
eyes  are  like  a  flame  of  fire,  pray  to  be  clothed  with 
divine  power,  to  be  encased  in  Christian  armor,  to 
have  "  your  loins  girt  about  with  truth,  and  having 
on  the  breast-plate  of  righteousness  ;  and  your  feet 


Forclookings.  335 

shod  with  a  preparation  of  the  Gospel  of  peace  ;  above 
all,  taking-  the  shield  of  faith,  wherewith  ye  shall  be 
able  to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked.  And 
take  the  helmet  of  salvation,  and  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God  :  praying  always 
with  all  prayer  and  supplication  in  the  Spirit." 
Here  resolve  that  all  you  are  and  all  you  have  shall 
be  devoted  to  this  one  work  :  that  with  all  your  en- 
ergies and  all  your  power  you  will  strive  against  the 
powers  of  darkness,  and  to  advance  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  the  Church  of  the  living  God  ;  resolve,  God 
helping  you,  that  the  Gospel  spoken  from  your  lips 
shall  never  be  spoken  in  vain,  and  that  you  will  real- 
ize the  utmost  possibilities  of  divine  power  and  grace 
in  your  ministry  among  men. 

]\Iy  thoughts  glance  beyond  this  assembly',  and 
would  peer  far  into  the  future.  I  know  not  what  is 
before  you  ;  God  only  knows  whether  you  shall  have 
years  of  labor  and  toil  and  danger  and  triumph,  or 
whether  you  shall  early  be  called  into  his  own  pres- 
ence. As  I  look  upon  you,  I  seem  to  behold  a  halo 
above  your  heads  ;  rays  of  glory  to  come  down  from 
on  high  ;  a  tongue  of  fire  that  prophesies  your  mis- 
sion. Who  among  you  shall  shine  with  the  greatest 
radiance,  shall  wear  the  brightest  crown,  who  shall 
be  nearest  the  throne,  I  know  not  ;  it  will  be  he  who, 
according  to  his  talents  and  opportunity,  does  most 
for  his  blessed  Master.  There  are  degrees  in  glory, 
"  One  star  differeth  from  another  star  in  glory  ;   so, 


336  Lectures  on  Preaching. 

also,  is  the  resurrection."  "  The  wise  shall  shine  as  the 
brightness  of  the  firmament,  and  they  that  turn  many 
to  righteousness  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever."  In  that 
great  day  how  insignificant  shall  appear  the  offices, 
or  honors,  wealth  and  comforts,  of  an  earthly  life  com- 
pared with  the  crown  which  shall  be  given  to  those 
who  have  conquered  souls  for  Christ !  Could  I  live 
a  thousand  years,  I  would  proclaim  the  great  divine 
message.  But  almost  as  soon  as  we  learn  to  work  we 
must  die.  Had  I  a  thousand  lives,  they  should  all  be 
spent  in  the  ministry  of  the  word.  If  I  could,  I 
would  inspire  you  with  a  noble  ambition  ;  I  would 
give  you  strength  to  bear  away  the  gates  of  the 
enemy,  and  to  overcome  my  Masters  foe.  I  would 
commission  you  to  win  triumph  after  triumph.  I 
would  strengthen  you  so  that  one  of  you  should  chase 
a  thousand,  and  two  of  you  should  put  ten  thousand 
to  flight.  I  have  not  the  power,  but  there  is  One 
who  has  ;  he  has  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth, 
and  he  has  promised  to  be  with  you  wherever  you 
may  go.  Into  his  hands  and  to  his  guiding  providence 
I  commit  you  every  one,  praying  that  the  "  God  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Father  of  glory,  may  give 
unto  you  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelation  in  the 
knowledge  of  him  ;  the  eyes  of  your  understanding 
being  enlightened  ;  that  ye  may  know  what  is  the 
hope  of  his  calling,  and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory 
of  his  inheritance  in  the  saints." 


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